<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Welcome to Heaven by aro-preacher (Denotation)</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25474423">Welcome to Heaven</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denotation/pseuds/aro-preacher'>aro-preacher (Denotation)</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Welcome to Heaven [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M, Trans Character, god and angels dont have gender, king of repressed feelings uzumaki naruto, planned out fic, technically high school au but. not about high school at all</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 12:01:07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>21,841</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25474423</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Denotation/pseuds/aro-preacher</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>As embarrassing as it is, Naruto is dead. He doesn't want to think about it. The most unexpected part of being dead, however, is the task set before him: Preventing Uchiha Sasuke from selling his soul and going to hell.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Welcome to Heaven [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1845316</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>61</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Meet the Guy Who's Going to Hell</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It really wasn’t his fault. It’s not like Naruto <em>meant</em> to die, he just- well, died. As traumatizing as death is, he didn’t really want to think about it. He filed the experience away in the same part of his brain that held memories of summer camp, the entirety of middle school, and that time he wound up running through a hotel naked.</p><p>Death looked different than he expected. He wasn’t sure where he was, either. Heaven, hell, purgatory, maybe even Wisconsin. Not that he’d ever been there, but he was sure Wisconsin had grass or something. Wherever he was, it was absolutely covered in grass, with a huge blue sky. He thought it might be nice to just lay in the grass and sleep for a while. Dying was incredibly taxing and he could use a nap.</p><p>“Naruto?” a voice asked. Naruto quickly turned around, face-to-face with a person that looked as though they’d been expecting him. Surprisingly, Naruto didn’t startle at the proximity.</p><p>“Uh, yeah?”</p><p>The person smiled. “Nice to meet you. I’ve been waiting for you, young man!”</p><p>Naruto rubbed the back of his neck. He was narrowing his situation down to either purgatory, a heaven acceptance ceremony, or a really, really sneaky hell. “Um, me too? Waiting for you? This isn’t Wisconsin, right?”</p><p>The person laughed. “No, not Wisconsin. This is your Heaven.”</p><p>“My heaven?”</p><p>The person nodded. “This is the most calming scenery that your Soul can envision for the moment. Everyone’s Heaven is different, and changes based on the needs of the Soul. Perhaps you wanted to see the grass, or the sky?”</p><p>Naruto looked at the grass below him. Realizing he was barefoot, he wiggled his toes. He supposed that he hadn’t been wearing shoes when he died.</p><p>“Or maybe it is the sky that calms you?”</p><p>Naruto looked up to the sky. There was no sun, nor were there clouds. The blue was so expansive. It felt like a blanket for his eyes.</p><p>The person laughed. “That’s no matter, though. What does matter is you, young man! God has special plans for you!”</p><p>Naruto looked back at the person speaking to him. “Huh? What? God? I’m not alive, though, right? How can-”</p><p>He was interrupted by a warm hand on his shoulder. “God works in mysterious ways. You are dead, yes, but death is not the end. Your Soul will never have an end, as God’s love is eternal.”</p><p>Naruto leaned into the touch. It felt like someone had liquefied peacefulness, rubbed it into their skin, then touched Naruto’s shoulder in his personal heaven immediately after his tragic demise that he wasn’t thinking about. “Who are you?”</p><p>The person smiled again. “I’m an angel.”</p><p>“What’s your name?”</p><p>“Just call me Angel.”</p><p>“Are there more of you?”</p><p>Angel nodded.</p><p>“What do I call them?”</p><p>“Call us all Angel. We will know who you’re speaking to.”</p><p>Naruto furrowed his brow. “How? That doesn’t make sense.”</p><p>Angel brushed Naruto’s cheek with their other hand. The intimacy was unexpected and made Naruto flush, but it wasn’t unwelcome. He wanted to live in this feeling of being cherished.</p><p>“Angels are different from humans. You are made with God’s love, while we are made from it. Angels are like the bricks that make up God’s kingdom. God is the castle, and you humans are our precious inhabitants. Every single one of you exists to be loved by us. While on Earth, you have struggled so that you may know who you are, and what love is.”</p><p>Naruto grew bold and touched the hand on his cheek. He chuckled nervously. “This does feel nice.”</p><p>Angel smiled. “God’s love feels even better than that of an angel’s. We love you for all the things that you are. We watch you learn and grow, we see you learn to love and forgive and create. We see all of which God has modeled you after. God’s love, however, comes from an infinite knowing. Not even an angel could explain to you how intensely God loves you. And that love includes you, Naruto.”</p><p>Naruto was ready to die all over again. His whole body- his whole soul was numb and warm and light. As Angel drew their hand away, Naruto was relieved that the sensation didn’t immediately leave with it. He could still feel it ebb and flow within him.</p><p>Angel held out their hand for Naruto to grab. “Are you ready to hear God’s plan for you?”</p><p>Naruto nodded.</p><p> </p><p>“Sasuke? Sasuke Uchiha?” Naruto asked, bewildered. He wasn’t exactly surprised that Sasuke was in danger of losing his mortal soul, the guy’d always been a bit of an asshole, but why Angel was telling Naruto about it was strange.</p><p>“Naruto, you are the key to saving Sasuke’s eternal life.”</p><p>“But how? I’ve always hated that guy!” Naruto protested.</p><p>Angel smiled. “I’m afraid I can’t answer that. All I can tell you is that Sasuke will soon be in danger of making a deal with a demon, and that God has asked if you will help save him. You are the only one who can.”</p><p>“The only one?” Naruto asked. Angel nodded. Well, that wasn’t an enormous pressure or anything. The only one who could save Sasuke? Naruto didn’t have the best attention span or the best grades or the best track record of keeping people alive. If he was Sasuke’s best shot, Sasuke might be in a tighter spot than Naruto had initially imagined.</p><p>“What… What happens if I refuse, or if I mess up?”</p><p>“If you refuse, that is your choice. There are no negative repercussions for you, no matter what happens to Sasuke. God knows you will do your best.”</p><p>“I’ll do it,” Naruto said. He didn’t need to think about it, not really. It didn’t matter if he hated Sasuke’s guts- no one deserved eternal damnation, no matter how much hair gel they used. “I’ll do it, and I’ll definitely save Sasuke.”</p><p>Angel embraced him. The pure heat and love that Naruto felt would have brought him to his knees if not for Angel holding him up. “Thank you, Naruto,” they said.</p><p>Naruto found enough in himself to pat Angel on the back. “Uh, no problemo.”</p><p>Angel held Naruto in their arms for just a few seconds longer. It was enough to make Naruto feel giddy, like he could do anything.</p><p>Naruto was smiling uncontrollably. “Okay, okay! What do I do? How does this work? Do I get to grow wings, or do I get like cool superpowers?”</p><p>Angel laughed. “No, no. All you will do is stay by Sasuke’s side for as long as you wish and try to verbally convince him not to stray from God’s light.”</p><p>“So we just talk? That’s it?”</p><p>“Essentially, yes. You may return to Heaven as frequently or as infrequently as you like.”</p><p>“Can I do what ghosts on tv do? Like cause storms or manipulate radio frequencies?”</p><p>“It is possible that with time you will be able to interact with certain matter on Earth, but I doubt you will stay long enough to do what you are thinking. It would take thousands of years and quite a lot of practice to direct even one bolt of lightning.”</p><p>Naruto pouted, but decided that with enough practice he could figure out a way to scare Sasuke’s socks off. That’d be hilarious.</p><p>“How will I know how to get back to Heaven? How will I know when to go back to Sasuke?”</p><p>Angel cupped one of Naruto’s hands in their own. “You’ll know, Naruto. Try it now. Try to go back to Earth, to find Sasuke.”</p><p>Naruto nodded, trying to focus. He considered asking if he should say a magic word, but when his eyes opened Angel was no longer there. It was dark, and Naruto was on the street outside of his apartment complex. It was raining but Naruto felt nothing on his skin. He frowned.</p><p>“Okay, here I am, at home. Now where the hell is Sasuke? And what time is it?” Naruto looked around for any sign that could tell him the time but found nothing. No significant amount of lights were on or off, and the shopping district was a while away. No people were on the street, either.</p><p>He decided to wander the streets. It wasn’t like he was in a rush or anything. He took his time, exploring what it was like to be a ghost. He found that if he didn’t think about it, he could just float around, not moving his legs. When he did walk, he didn’t feel the ground beneath his feet, which were still barefoot. He was like a moving picture.</p><p>Naruto assumed that he looked the same as when he died, but he couldn’t see all of himself. He couldn’t see his face, or his back, no matter how many windows he tried to use to see his reflection. He guessed mirrors wouldn’t work, either. He’d never been particularly vain, so it didn’t bother him much. It was more a weird reminder that he was still dead.</p><p>“Ah! I’m screaming!” he screamed. He heard no echo, but he could hear his own voice as he spoke. <em>I can hear it when I’m thinking, too,</em> he thought, <em>but that’s normal.</em> He glanced at his orange sweatpants and noticed a thread hanging out of the left pant leg. <em>Great. That’s gonna bug me for eternity.</em></p><p>He kept wandering until morning when he realized that he was no closer to finding Sasuke than he’d been when he’d first arrived on Earth. He understood with a groan that even death couldn’t save him from high school, since that’s where he’d need to find Sasuke. Sasuke who might not be able to see or hear him. Sasuke who hadn’t given him the time of day even when Naruto was alive.</p><p>Why was he doing this again? Oh, eternal damnation, right.</p><p> </p><p>Naruto waited by the school gate for a few hours, trying to get the hang of floating. He watched as waves of students came walking and driving up to the front entrances, talking and laughing with each other. Some of them looked so tired that they could collapse on the ground at any moment.</p><p>Finally, after what felt like half of Naruto’s remaining eternity, a head of black, spiky hair bobbed over the horizon. Naruto recognized that gelled head as Sasuke Uchiha, the number one student in their grade- and probably the whole tri-state area.</p><p>On instinct alone, rage filled Naruto’s gut. The last time he’d seen Sasuke, Sasuke had called him a “sentient Bop-It” in front of Sakura, who had giggled and swooned. Naruto would’ve punched him if it weren’t for the death thing. </p><p>Maybe he should start playing nice, as an ambassador of Heaven and all. Be so nice that Sasuke sells his soul to the Care Bears and the power of friendship.</p><p>“Sasuke! Hey, Sasuke!” he called, jumping up and down and waving his arms frantically. Sasuke’s head popped up and Naruto saw recognition in his face before Sasuke looked away, ignoring him. Naruto grit his teeth, abandoning his plan of niceness right from the start.</p><p>“Hey, Sasuke! You asshole, don’t ignore me!” he yelled, jogging next to Sasuke through the crowd of sleepy students and teachers. He instinctually said “excuse me” to each one as he maneuvered around them.</p><p>Sasuke sighed, running a hand through his hair. “What do you want, moron?”</p><p>Naruto stood in front of Sasuke, causing him to stop walking. “Listen up! I’m here to save you from eternal fire, you got it?”</p><p>Sasuke cocked an eyebrow. “What the hell are you talking about?”</p><p>“Ever hear of God, Sasuke? Well, you should really consider praying more and not sinning.” Naruto’s hands were on his hips. He probably looked weird being the only one in bright orange athleisure in a crowd of students in white shirts and black dress pants, but that was the price of being awesome.</p><p>Sasuke was silent for a moment before brushing past Naruto, scowling. “I have class. I don’t have time for this.”</p><p>Naruto squawked, offended. “You have time, Sasuke! An eternity, really!” he yelled, following after Sasuke with rapid footsteps. </p><p>A head of pink popped into Naruto’s line of sight. “Oh, hey, Sakura!” he said on instinct, forgetting the whole death thing. She didn’t respond to him in the slightest.</p><p>“Sasuke? Who are you talking to?” Sakura asked sweetly, if a little concerned. Naruto frowned. She’d never spoken to him that nicely…</p><p>“Nobody,” Sasuke bit out. He walked faster, away from both of them. Sakura stopped, sighing as her shoulders drooped down dramatically. Naruto wanted to comfort her, but found that even as he touched her shoulder she didn’t respond. His hand basically fell through her arm, which felt like a glitch to see.</p><p>“Don’t mind him, Sakura, he’s just playing hard to get,” said Ino, Sakura’s best frenemy from grade school. Naruto thought she’d had a thing for Sasuke until she started going out with Naruto’s weirdest friend, Sai.</p><p>Sakura peaked her head up through her bangs. “You think so?” she asked. Ino nodded furiously before clapping her on the back.</p><p>“Yes, I do! Now come on, put some spirit into it! Girls are cuter when they’re full of energy!”</p><p>Sakura nodded, a newfound confidence radiating from her. Naruto stood, a little confused by the interaction, before remembering he was supposed to save Sasuke’s soul. “Hey, Sasuke!” he shouted again, running ahead.</p><p>Sasuke ignored him all the way to class, as much as it annoyed Naruto. Sasuke sat at his desk, which was in the very front, his books put away and notebooks spread out in front of him. Naruto stood in between Sasuke’s face and the whiteboard, waiting for Sasuke to acknowledge him.</p><p>“Idiot, this isn’t your homeroom. Leave.” Sasuke commanded. Naruto stuck his tongue out at him, effectively winning the argument.</p><p>“I don’t have to go to my homeroom. Ever again, actually! So are you gonna listen to me now or am I gonna have to start yodelling?” Sasuke hated loud noises and attention. Naruto was sure to win.</p><p>Sasuke grimaced. “Alright, fine. What the hell do you want?”</p><p>Naruto smiled for a second before getting a serious look on his face. “Okay, so this might be hard to believe, but I’m actually a ghost sent from Heaven to keep you from going to hell.”</p><p>Sasuke blinked. “Uh-huh.”</p><p>“It’s a funny story, really. See there was this angel named Angel and they had the coolest superpower where they could just touch you and it was like, the nicest feeling ever. Like all warm, and like if someone took the flavor of miso ramen and made it a feeling, ya know? Anyway-”</p><p>“Uh-huh. Hey, Naruto.”</p><p>“Yeah?”</p><p>“Leave.”</p><p>Naruto felt his face redden in anger. “Hey, I’m serious! You’re in danger, Sasuke! Serious danger! And if you don’t listen to me-”</p><p>It was at this moment that the school bell chimed and an unknown man walked into the classroom. Which was weird, since Naruto knew for a fact that Sasuke’s homeroom teacher was-</p><p>
  <em>Oh. Right.</em>
</p><p>“Ahem. Hello, everyone, I’m Mister Yamamura, your substitute for today.” The man, short with a green jacket hanging loosely over a slight pot belly, coughed and wiped at his nose. His glasses seemed to be two inches thick and his shoes were scuffed to hell and back.</p><p>A hand shot up from the back of the room. “What happened to Mr. Iruka?” a girl asked. Naruto had never seen her before, since all of his classes had been down the hall.</p><p>Yamamura shuffled to the desk, pulling papers out of his satchel. “He’s not here today. He’s taking a leave of absence.”</p><p>“Why? Is he sick?” the girl asked.</p><p>“No, I believe his son is.”</p><p>Sasuke frowned. “Naruto’s not sick,” he said. Naruto grimaced from his spot next to him on an empty desk. This was going to be painful to watch, and he’d seen Lee fail to bench press 200 pounds two years ago. </p><p>There was laughter from the back as Suigetsu spoke up. “Yeah, Naruto and Sasuke are basically dating, so he’d know.” </p><p>Sasuke rolled his eyes as Yamamura tried to quiet the class. Shino spoke up from next to Suigetsu, serious as always. “That’s inappropriate. Why? Because the truth is that Naruto is dead.”</p><p>The whole room went silent. Naruto felt incredibly uncomfortable, but couldn’t help looking at Sasuke. He bit his lip as Sasuke made confused eye contact with him.</p><p>“What… What do you mean, Naruto is dead?” asked Ino. Her painted nails dropped from her hair to her desk in a soft ‘clack’.</p><p>Yamamura coughed loudly. “Let’s not spread false rumors.”</p><p>Shino shook his head. His glasses reflected the yellow lights from the ceiling as he continued, “It’s not a false rumor. Why? My friend Kiba told me-”</p><p>“A friend,” Mr. Yamamura interjected, “means a rumor. That’s a serious accusation, young man.”</p><p>Shino quieted as the class murmured. Naruto watched as Sasuke looked around, perplexed. “Are you guys messing around right now? Naruto’s-”</p><p>“‘Naruto’ is not the subject of today’s class. We’re reviewing your quizzes from last week. Now, if you’ll redirect your attention to the front…” Yamamura began writing something in black marker on the whiteboard despite the whispers from Sasuke’s classmates.</p><p>Naruto waved his hand in front of Sasuke’s face. “I’m seriously dead, Sasuke! Watch this,” he said, standing on top of his desk. No one noticed or said anything. Naruto then let out a breath that he didn’t need to take as he lifted his legs up like he’d practiced at the school gates, floating in place.</p><p>Sasuke scrambled out of his desk, staring at Naruto like- well, like he’d seen a ghost. The class turned to look at him, confused.</p><p>“Is there a problem, young man?” Yamamura asked. Sasuke shook his head rapidly.</p><p>“No, no. I just- need to go to the bathroom. Please.”</p><p>Yamamura nodded slowly, granting permission. Sasuke all but booked it out of the classroom, leaving everything behind him as the class broke out into louder whispers. Naruto sighed as he followed after him, no longer floating.</p><p>Naruto found Sasuke on the second floor bathroom, the one with only one working toilet and where all the sinks sprayed ice cold water. Sasuke was splashing water on his face and looked paler than Sai usually did.</p><p>“What’s your deal?” Naruto asked, crossing his arms.</p><p>Sasuke glared at him from over the sink. “What’s my deal? What’s your deal? No one- no one can see you! And you floated!”</p><p>Naruto felt himself starting to grow impatient. “I already told you! I’m dead! Look!” Naruto walked next to Sasuke and gestured at the mirror. “See? No reflection!”</p><p>Sasuke looked at the mirror and paled further. He took a deep breath before sitting down on the gross tile floor. “That’s it, I’m going insane,” he mumbled, his head in his hands.</p><p>Naruto started to feel a little bad for Sasuke. He supposed that if their situations were flipped, he’d feel a little queasy too. “Look, you’re not crazy. You’re just haunted. And there’s nothing wrong with that! You’ve got the world’s coolest ghost right next to you!”</p><p>Sasuke slowly looked up at him from the floor. “Why <em>can</em> I see you, anyway?” he asked. “If you’re even really dead.”</p><p>“Oh, I’m dead. No ghost-baiting,” Naruto said, giving a small spin as though to demonstrate his ghostliness. “And like I said, I’m here to keep you from selling your soul.”</p><p>Sasuke’s eyes were wide. “Naruto,” he started slowly, “turn around again.”</p><p>Naruto shrugged, confused. “Okay?” He gave a slower spin, with his arms spread out wide. He heard Sasuke get up and, a bit horrifically, he looked down to see fingers phasing through his torso.</p><p>“Why did you do that?” Naruto asked, turning back around. Sasuke was looking at him in abject terror.</p><p>“Naruto, your back- there’s a hole in your back?”</p><p>Naruto thought for a second. “Oh, that’s where the knife was,” he supplied. He watched as Sasuke’s eyes rolled back into his head. Sasuke collapsed onto the floor in a heap, head hitting a stall door. It looked painful.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hey guys! Welcome to Welcome to Heaven! If you haven't guessed, this is based off of Welcome to Hell from YouTube. I'd been thinking of an SNS AU for it, but it didn't really fit either Sasuke's or Naruto's characters as it was. With a little twisting and a lot of emo music, Welcome to Heaven was born! I hope you guys enjoy where this story goes- I have a <em>lot</em> of plans for it.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Damn, Sasuke, You Live Like This?</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Naruto gave Sasuke his space as he stumbled out of the bathroom and to the nurse’s office. Sasuke didn’t need to come up with an excuse to leave- not while sporting a bruise on his face that made it obvious he’d probably gotten himself a concussion. He’d be feeling that impact for <em>days.</em></p><p>Naruto didn’t speak, either, as Sasuke grabbed his things from his homeroom. The whispers hadn’t stopped. Some people were whispering about Sasuke, about how weird he’d acted, about his ice pack and shaky hands. Some whispered about Mr. Iruka not being in class, and whether they thought Shino was onto something.</p><p>It wasn’t until Sasuke’s ride had shown up that Naruto finally spoke again. “Holy crap, Sasuke!” he exclaimed as the large black vehicle pulled around the circle past the school gate, “Is that a limo?”</p><p>Sasuke groaned, pressing his ice pack to his brow. “Please be quieter.”</p><p>“Shit, sorry,” Naruto whispered. While it wasn’t technically his fault that Sasuke was hurt, Naruto still felt a tad bit guilty. He also wondered how his back looked to make Sasuke faint like that. It must’ve looked pretty damn radical.</p><p>The limousine came to a stop and Sasuke stepped in with practiced ease. Naruto hopped through the door on the other side, behind the driver. “Take me home,” Sasuke bit out, his eyes closed tight. Naruto wiggled excitedly in his seat as the car began moving.</p><p>“Dude,” Naruto whispered, “I didn’t know you were loaded!” He should’ve expected it from the prodigy, but Sasuke’s family and home life had never crossed Naruto’s mind as something he should consider.</p><p>Sasuke made a non-commital noise, something that wouldn’t garner the driver’s attention. Naruto looked out the window- literally. He leaned his head through the glass and did his best to imagine how the wind might have felt on his face.</p><p>“Could you not do that?” Sasuke snapped. Naruto barely heard him over the sound of the wind whipping across the limousine.</p><p>“Do what, sir?” asked the driver, confused.</p><p>Sasuke shook his head before wincing, regretting the action. “Nothing, never mind. Would you put the divider up?” The driver nodded warily, pressing a button that made a large black screen separate Sasuke from his vision.</p><p>Naruto smiled sheepishly. “Sorry. It’s my first time in one of these.”</p><p>Sasuke’s frown did not lift. “Assumedly.”</p><p>Naruto stuck his head out of the window again before turning back towards Sasuke. “That’s so fun! How are you not doing this?” he asked. </p><p>Sasuke frowned deeper. “Why do you keep doing that? Keep your head in the vehicle.”</p><p>Absolutely not! “No way! I told you, I’ve never ridden in one of these before!”</p><p>“A limo?”</p><p>“No, a car!” Naruto exclaimed, right before sticking his head out for a third time. “This is great!” he shouted from outside before popping back in.</p><p>Sasuke’s eyes snapped open, surprised. “You’ve never ridden in a car before?” Naruto shook his head ‘no’. “That doesn’t make sense- you’re, what, seventeen?”</p><p>Naruto nodded. “Yup! As of… what, a day ago now?” Sasuke stared at him. Naruto felt a little uncomfortable, especially since he wasn’t used to the look Sasuke was giving him. He’d dealt with both anger and pity, but Sasuke looked as though he were trying to solve a puzzle that Naruto couldn’t see.</p><p>Naruto felt the sudden urge to explain himself. “Um, well my godfather didn’t drive, so I used to bike everywhere. Mr. Iruka lives close to the school, too, so after I moved in with him we just started walking everywhere together,” he supplied.</p><p>Sasuke nodded slowly, seeming nonplussed. He closed his eyes again and pressed his ice pack tighter, letting out a soft breath of air. Naruto felt embarrassed to have said so much out of nowhere. He dealt with it by enjoying the remainder of the ride while having as much fun as possible.</p><p>Naruto saw Sasuke’s house a few minutes later. It was large and ominous, with gates and hedges and black tiles. It seemed like something from a black and white horror movie. Naruto got the spooks just looking at it. He’d spent time in some weird places, all of which made him feel more comfortable than the exterior of Sasuke’s home.</p><p>“Damn, Sasuke, you live here?” Naruto asked, partly amazed and just a little saddened. Sasuke gave out a ‘hn’ as the limo came to a stop. Sasuke gathered his backpack and Naruto hopped out of the car, leaning as best as he could over the top of it.</p><p>“So, can I come in?” Naruto asked. Sasuke stalled.</p><p>“Why are you asking? Can’t you just float in?” Sasuke asked, sounding confused.</p><p>Naruto shrugged. “I guess so, but it just seems rude, ya know? It’s <em>your </em>house, I don’t wanna intrude.”</p><p>Sasuke seemed to find humor in Naruto’s statement and chuckled lightly to himself. Naruto didn’t know what was so funny. Sasuke turned to face him, then, and with a blank face said “No. Stay out.”</p><p>And that was it. Sasuke walked through his enormous front doors and let them close loudly and dramatically behind him. The limousine took off shortly after, leaving Naruto alone.</p><p>After a minute of Sasuke staying inside, and having no idea where in the world he actually was, Naruto decided to call it a day. He let out a needless breath, closed his eyes, and tried to will himself back to Heaven.</p><p>His Heaven looked different from last time. While before Naruto had stood in a vast, empty field, this time there was a large oak tree that just <em>beckoned </em>him closer, practically an invitation to lay down in the shade to sleep for years. Naruto was tempted to do just that.</p><p>“Angel?” he called out instead, tentatively. </p><p>Angel appeared, looking much different from last time. Naruto knew instinctively that this was the same Angel as he’d first seen, especially when Angel offered him an encouraging smile. “Well, Naruto? How was it?”</p><p>“Exhausting,” Naruto replied, offering up a small smile of his own. “I almost sent him to the afterlife early- on accident! He saw my back and passed out.” Angel nodded, not seeming surprised at all. </p><p>“Actually, can you tell me what it looks like?” Naruto asked, turning around. He stayed still for a moment until Angel finally stepped closer and pressed a warm hand to Naruto’s back. He felt the now familiar rush of peacefulness radiate from near his spine, spreading to his neck and shoulders. He sighed, appreciative.</p><p>“It looks as though you’ve been pierced,” Angel said, sounding sad, “as though you’ve been hurt very badly.” They traced the large outline of the wound, letting Naruto feel the size of it.</p><p>Naruto instantly regretted asking. He didn’t want to make Angel upset. Naruto quickly turned around, hiding his back from view, and laughed as genuinely as he could. “It’s no biggie! Didn’t even feel it! Besides, if I were alive, I’d have a wicked scar, which is pretty cool!”</p><p>“Naruto,” Angel began, touching his face, “I know you felt it. It’s okay to hurt.”</p><p>Surprised by the bluntness of Angel’s words and still feeling the ebb and flow of that cherished feeling, Naruto began to sense his internal dam starting to crack. The combination of Angel’s concern and his own unvoiced fear was beginning to make him shake, hot tears threatening to spill over at any second.</p><p>He fought back as hard as he could. He thought of funny pranks and tiny dogs with ugly faces. “How- how come it stayed?” he asked, trying to steady his voice. “How come I look like this? Like when I died?”</p><p>Naruto knew that Angel could sense his internal struggle, but they did not comment on it. “You look the same as when you died because that is the last perception of yourself you had. Your back,” Angel’s eyes cast downwards in sorrow for a moment before flicking back up, “Your back looks the way that you perceived it at the moment of your death.”</p><p>Naruto’s lack of a heart thudded. No wonder Sasuke passed out.</p><p>“You can change it, if you’d like,” Angel continued.</p><p>“Really?” Naruto asked, hopeful. His negative feelings began to subside, replaced by joy and curiosity.</p><p>“Of course!” Angel said, “This is your Heaven. All you have to do is focus your Soul. You may change your appearance as you wish.”</p><p>Naruto stood still and closed his eyes, focusing. The first thing he was getting rid of was the hole in his back, then he was getting rid of that damn stray thread. He hadn’t forgotten about it throughout the whole day. It was practically torture.</p><p>“You can also change your Heaven at will,” Angel continued, “or visit the Heavens of other Souls. Your Soul can call out and invite others in, as well!”</p><p>Naruto paused. An image of an older man with long, white hair and a hearty laugh flashed through his mind. “I’m- I’m good, for now,” Naruto mumbled. Angel nodded, understanding.</p><p>“Then do me a favor and simply listen. Can you hear them? The Souls reaching for you?”</p><p>Naruto focused. It took a minute of absolute silence between him and Angel, but Naruto felt something. He heard voices. Two voices, calling to him.</p><p>“You hear them,” Angel stated. Naruto couldn’t stop the lone tear that tracked down his cheek. Angel wiped it away for him, leaving an equally warm trail from their fingertips that made Naruto’s pain ease only slightly. “They’ve been calling to you for a while, Naruto. Ever since you first arrived.”</p><p>“I’m not ready,” Naruto said. He felt weak.</p><p>“That’s your choice,” Angel confirmed, sounding as supportive as possible. “They will understand.”</p><p>Naruto couldn’t hold back anymore. He leaned into Angel, sobbing and hiccupping in a way that made him feel self-conscious and small. Angel simply held him and let him cry, patting him on the back and combing soft fingers through his hair as though Naruto were a child.</p><p>“You are safe here,” Angel said, “You are loved. You may cry as much as you wish. You will still be loved, no matter how long you hurt for.”</p><p>Naruto sobbed harder.</p><p> </p><p>Naruto met Sasuke at the school gates once again the next day. Sasuke’s face dropped, as though he’d convinced himself that Naruto had just been in his imagination. Sasuke was still sporting a nasty bruise that made him look like he’d been in a fight.</p><p>“Sasuke! Hey, Sasuke!” Naruto called, once again waving his arms for Sasuke’s attention, “Check this out!” Naruto turned around, pointing to his back with a wide smile. “No more hole! Cool, right?”</p><p>Sasuke ignored him, walking right past him. Naruto didn’t take as much offense to this as he had yesterday, understanding that Sasuke was probably trying to not look crazy in public. That didn’t stop Naruto from talking to him.</p><p>“So I’ve been thinking about you and your soul, right, trying to figure out why you’re not as attached to it as you should be.” Naruto dodged a teacher and wound up accidentally phasing through a student. “Well, I don’t know a lot about you, so that got me nowhere. That’s when I realized that what I should really do first is sell Heaven to you!”</p><p>Sasuke gave no indication that he was listening, only adjusted his backpack strap. Naruto took it as encouragement.</p><p>“Okay, so number one: Heaven is sooo nice. Like, imagine the comfiest place you can. Bam! That’s your Heaven! And you can change it if you want, just like that!”</p><p>Sasuke still didn’t respond. There was a voice, though, cutting through the crowd that caused Naruto to pause his rehearsed speech.</p><p>“Sasuke! Sasuke!” came Sakura’s voice, sounding very awake compared to the drowsy voices surrounding them. Sasuke let out a sharp sigh and started walking faster.</p><p>“Hey, asshole! Sakura’s trying to get your attention,” Naruto said, a little confused.</p><p>“I know,” Sasuke replied, voice low. The response caught Naruto off-guard. He hadn’t been expecting to get anything out of Sasuke at all, to be honest. Except maybe a ‘Gee, Naruto, Heaven sounds swell! I guess I won’t be selling my soul anymore!’</p><p>Wishful thinking, but a guy can dream.</p><p>“Sasuke,” Sakura panted, having finally caught up to them. She took a few gulps of air to recollect herself. Sasuke paused, reluctantly.</p><p>“What is it?” he asked. His tone set Naruto on edge on Sakura’s behalf.</p><p>“I- I was wondering if you wanted to have lunch together?” she asked, green eyes looking up into Sasuke’s. She looked hopeful.</p><p>“No,” Sasuke said, dismissively. He immediately walked away from Sakura, who looked like she’d just been verbally slapped.</p><p>Naruto’s jaw dropped. He felt himself begin to shake with rage. “Hey, Sasuke! You asshole! You can’t talk to her like that!” Naruto shouted, trying to get in Sasuke’s way. Sasuke simply walked right through him.</p><p>“She really put herself out there and you just, what, didn’t have time for her? Is his highness just too busy for the common folk? Do you think you’re better than her? Answer me!” Naruto felt himself getting angrier as Sasuke ignored him, putting his books away and walking back to the second floor bathroom. He wished he could punch him, he really, really wished he could.</p><p>Naruto kept yelling until Sasuke finally turned around, now alone in the restroom. “Shut up! Just shut up!” he hissed, looking livid. Naruto frowned, glaring, and waited for Sasuke to continue.</p><p>“That girl,” Sasuke said lowly, “has been up. My. Ass. Since she met me. I think I’m treating her just fine considering how many times I’ve had to tell her ‘no’!”</p><p>Naruto bit his lip. Sasuke did have a point, but still! “But still! She’s putting herself out there because she likes you, and you’re treating her like she isn’t even a person!”</p><p>Sasuke scoffed. “You’re only saying that because you like her. You do the same thing to her that she does to me, and it pisses you off that she wants me instead.”</p><p>Naruto let out a frustrated yell and jumped at Sasuke, forgetting that he was dead until he fell right through him. Of all the times he’s wanted to fight Sasuke, this was definitely in the top seven.</p><p>“You’re lucky I’m dead!” Naruto growled.</p><p>“<em>You’re </em>lucky you’re dead, dumbass.” Sasuke countered. There wasn’t any venom in his words.</p><p>There was a loud flushing noise as someone opened up the only working toilet stall. “Um, Sasuke? You okay?” Chouji asked, snacking on an open bag of chips. <em>He hasn’t even washed his hands yet…</em></p><p>Sasuke ‘tch’ed and walked away, not defending his behaviour.</p><p> </p><p>Naruto got his revenge by making faces at Sasuke all throughout his classes. Mr. Iruka still wasn’t in, which left a lot of students both disappointed and curious. At some point Naruto checked in on his old class and saw that Kiba was absent, too, as well as Mr. Mizuki, of course. Naruto decided to drop the ‘Mr.’ from that moment on.</p><p>Sasuke was dramatic, so of course he sat on the roof during his lunch period. Naruto used to sit up there, too, before he’d made friends with Gaara. It was a bit nice considering that Sasuke would actually talk to Naruto when they were alone.</p><p>“Okay, so next,” Naruto continued, earlier fight forgotten, “there’s Angel. You’re gonna love them. They’re super nice and supposedly there’s a bunch of Angels up in Heaven. Every time I see them they look different, but like? They’re still the same? It’s confusing at first until you get the hang of it.”</p><p>Sasuke nodded, only paying half-attention. He took a bite of his packed omelette before saying, “Naruto.”</p><p>“Hm? What’s up?”</p><p>“Just think for a moment,” Sasuke started, “if there’s really an eternal bliss waiting out there, why on earth would I sell my soul?”</p><p>Naruto huffed. “You tell me! You’re the one in danger of actually doing it!”</p><p>Sasuke poked his omelette around before setting it aside. He made eye contact with Naruto for the first time in about ten minutes. “Naruto, I’ve gone through my fair share of tragedies. If I haven’t sold it yet, then I promise you: I won’t sell my soul, no matter what they offer me.”</p><p>The promise was tempting. Naruto’s word was his bond, and he guessed it was the same for Sasuke. “I know you say that,” Naruto sighed, “but I’m not here for kicks, Sasuke. I promised that I’d make sure you were safe. The people upstairs seem really worried about you, ya know?”</p><p>Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Then what are you going to do, Naruto? Follow me around until I die?”</p><p>“Yes! If I have to!” To be honest, he hadn’t thought about that, but deep down Naruto knew that being Sasuke’s life-long buddy was the only way to make sure he kept his word.</p><p>Wait, buddy? Ew.</p><p>Sasuke stayed quiet for a minute. “I could probably dispel you, you know,” he said, more thoughtful than anything. “Get a priest and cast you away.”</p><p>Naruto puffed his chest. “Well, good luck with that. I’ll be on the other side of that ghostly restraining order yelling at you even louder than you can imagine!”</p><p>Sasuke smiled softly, catching Naruto off guard. “I bet you would.”</p><p>Naruto grinned at him. “Yeah, I’ll still be young and hot while you’re balding and old.”</p><p>Sasuke snorted. “At least I’ll get to be old.” He paused after he said it, both of them sitting in the uncomfortable silence that ensued. “Look, I didn’t mean-”</p><p>Naruto held his hands up in front of him. “Nah, I know! No sweat, no sweat.”</p><p>Sasuke looked a bit relieved. The statement did bother Naruto, but not because Sasuke said it. It just bugged him because he hadn’t taken the time yet to really think about death that way. A small part of him was sad that he wouldn’t get to grow old, get married, have kids. Prove his  worth, thank Mr. Iruka by example.</p><p>But he wasn’t thinking about that. Not while he had Sasuke’s soul to save, anyway.</p><p>“Hey Sasuke, are you gonna finish that omelette?”</p><p>Sasuke shook his head, smiling again. “You’re so stupid.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I couldn't sleep until I posted this chapter, you guys... The past six hours of non-stop writing have been worth it, though! Let me know if I'm making the hints into Naruto and Sasuke's lives (or lack thereof) too easy for you ;)</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Too Many Questions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So why you?” Sasuke asked, walking home with Naruto when the school day was over. “Out of everyone I know- living and dead- why did it have to be you?”</p><p>Naruto shrugged, distracted by two squirrels fighting each other just a few yards away. “I dunno. I asked Angel, and they said they couldn’t tell me. Just that only I could do it.”</p><p>“Can you ask them why? Why they can’t tell you?”</p><p>Naruto thought for a brief moment. He didn’t really see the harm in asking. “Yeah, sure, I can ask for ya.”</p><p>“Ask them why… Ask them why I’m not haunted by anyone else.” Sasuke requested, sounding deep in thought and almost vulnerable. Naruto didn’t know how to respond, so he quipped back with a joke.</p><p>“What is this, twenty questions or something?” he asked, trying to lighten the mood. Sasuke rolled his eyes, looking like he was about to insult Naruto’s intelligence again.</p><p>Sasuke looked him in the eye as they continued walking, the gates of the Uchiha Estate (as Naruto had come to call it) just up ahead. “Naruto, you are my direct line to the secrets of the afterlife. Of <em>course</em> I have a few questions. Hell- I didn’t even believe in an afterlife before you showed up on Monday.”</p><p>Naruto gawked at him. “You didn’t believe anything happened after death? For real?”</p><p>Sasuke shrugged, buzzing the gate open. “Never had a reason to. As far as I was concerned, you die, you just stop existing.”</p><p>“Geez,” Naruto muttered, “that’s dark. Glad I could prove you wrong, then.” Naruto had never thought too long and hard about death but he’d always figured there was <em>something</em> after all of it. At least some type of ghost dinner party.</p><p>“I just don’t get why it’s only you. I’ve heard of ghosts before, but I’d think they’d send someone a little… above your pay grade, if my soul really mattered.” Sasuke swung open one of the giant front doors and held it open for Naruto and himself. “Come to think of it, how often do people sell their souls?” A pause as he thought. “I should really write these down.”</p><p>Naruto shifted on his feet, not moving until Sasuke looked over at him. “What?” Sasuke asked, “Why are you just standing there?”</p><p>“Am I allowed to come in?” Naruto didn’t want to walk inside if Sasuke hadn’t changed his mind about needing a ghost- or possibly only Naruto-free environment.</p><p>“Are you going to be obnoxious?”</p><p>“What? Of course not!”</p><p>“Then come inside, idiot. It’s fine.”</p><p>Naruto hesitantly walked through the open door. When he got inside he couldn’t help but marvel at the size of Sasuke’s house. The decorations and furniture were still as dark and decrepit as Naruto had imagined, with most of the house being dark brown or shades of navy blue. Everything was clean, though, with no dust or cobwebs anywhere in Naruto’s line of sight.</p><p>The giant front doors led them immediately to a giant stairwell that Sasuke began to climb up, Naruto following after. The carpet was red and plush. Naruto wished he could feel it, see how soft it was. At the top of the stairs was a giant painting of a family of four, their faces pale and their hair jet black.</p><p>“Do you know them?” Naruto asked, pointing to the picture.</p><p>“Don’t ask questions,” Sasuke snapped. After a moment he added, “Just… Not right now.”</p><p>Naruto normally would have objected to Sasuke’s tone, but he sensed that Sasuke was holding something back. He decided to stay quiet for once and to focus instead on the intricate moldings on the walls and the funny-looking lamps that lit the place. Sasuke’s house felt like it was over a hundred years old, vibe-wise.</p><p>After passing about a million and a half doors, Sasuke finally came to one at the end of a long corridor. He unlocked it, which Naruto found strange, before gripping the knob tightly. He paused.</p><p>“I can really go, Sasuke, it’s no big deal,” Naruto said, sensing Sasuke’s hesitation, “‘S not like Heaven’s the worst place to be.” Sasuke let out a deep breath, twisting the doorknob and letting the both of them in.</p><p>Sasuke’s room was organized in a way that wasn’t necessarily tidy, but it was still easy to see what was where. There were books piled around on the floor and stuffed into a large, brown bookcase, only a few dusty and all of them worn. Naruto would have picked one up to look at it if he could grasp physical matter.</p><p>“Whatcha got all of these books for?” Naruto asked instead, peeking over a pile and trying to read the top book’s cover. It said <em>The Occult: A History of Satanic Rituals.</em> Another, lying by Sasuke’s bed, read <em>The Price of Life and a Human Soul.</em> Naruto felt himself start to grow nervous. “I thought… I thought you didn’t believe in this kind of stuff?”</p><p>Sasuke dropped his backpack onto the ground after locking the door behind himself and sat at a small desk next to the bookcase. “I don’t. My brother did.”</p><p>“Oh.” Naruto didn’t miss the use of past tense. He didn’t comment on it. “Are any of these real? Do they know their shit?”</p><p>“That’s what I’m asking you,” Sasuke said, pulling out a pen and paper. “I need you to ask your ‘Angel’ a few questions for me. I’ll write them down, so can you memorize them? Or do you want to just zap back and forth as they come up?”</p><p>Naruto sat down on Sasuke’s floor, half expecting the floorboards to creak under his lack of weight. “Um, I can just try to memorize them, and if I miss any I’ll just ask later. If that’s okay?” Sasuke let out a low grunt as he started writing furiously.</p><p>Naruto kept shifting around, watching Sasuke write. He noticed that Sasuke would write quickly, pause as he tapped his slightly chapped lips with his pen, then would continue writing. Naruto inwardly groaned as he realized Sasuke probably had way more questions than he first imagined.</p><p>The silence was awkward, and with nothing to do with his hands Naruto was left to his thoughts. <em>So Sasuke has a brother, huh? Or had, anyway.</em> Naruto was suddenly very curious about Sasuke’s home life for the first time since he’d met him. The weird, scary portraits, the creepy-ass house, the total lack of anyone to greet Sasuke at home. It reminded Naruto of how he’d been not too long ago. In a strange, opposite-but-not sort of way.</p><p>Sasuke set his pen down, glancing over his paper with scrutiny. “Okay, I think this is it for now,” he said, moreso to himself than Naruto. He turned and handed the paper to Naruto, who tried to take it and failed miserably. His hand phased through the paper which fell to the floor upside-down.</p><p>Naruto rubbed the back of his neck with a small smile, letting Sasuke lean forward and flip the paper around so that Naruto could read it on the floor. There were only a dozen or so questions, written in Sasuke’s squished print handwriting.</p><p>Naruto read through the questions quickly. They were pretty easy, asking things like <em>Who goes to heaven? What sins lead to hell? Are there angels and demons on Earth?</em></p><p>What bothered Naruto was the second to last question: <em>How does a human sell their soul?</em></p><p>“Sasuke…” Naruto started, nervous, “I don’t know if I should ask Angel this.” Naruto pointed to said question, letting Sasuke lean over to read it. Sasuke snorted.</p><p>“And why is that? I’m not asking so that I can do it, Naruto.”</p><p>“Like hell, Sasuke! I’m supposed to keep you from selling your soul, and here you are asking for step-by-step instructions? I don’t think so!” Naruto paced around the room, the books and Sasuke’s note taunting him. Was he failing? Failing Angel, failing Sasuke? Failing God?</p><p>“Naruto! Snap out of it!” Sasuke demanded, standing up to match Naruto’s height. “Are you honestly telling me that you’re not curious?”</p><p>“No, I’m not curious Sasuke, because I have no interest in selling my soul! Are you?”</p><p>“Of course not.”</p><p>“Then why,” Naruto said, “are you so hung up about souls and hell? If you’re not making a deal with the devil then why do you care so much?”</p><p>Sasuke clenched his jaw. Naruto could see the flare of his nostrils and the way his muscles twitched. “I don’t have to tell you that,” he said.</p><p>“And I don’t have to ask any of these questions for you. So what’s it gonna be?”</p><p>Sasuke looked livid. Naruto knew he was probably pushing a subject that Sasuke didn’t want to talk about, but honestly? This was Sasuke’s eternal life! He didn’t have to disclose whatever he was so secretive about, but he’d better not expect Naruto to just hand him the recipe to Sasuke’s Soul Soup.</p><p>Naruto expected Sasuke to tell him to forget it, or more likely to just kick him out of his house and be done with it. Surprisingly, Sasuke seemed to weigh his options, his blatant curiosity getting the better of him.</p><p>“You can’t mention this to anyone,” Sasuke said, serious as Naruto had ever seen him. Naruto let out a dry laugh.</p><p>“And who would I tell, Sasuke? You’re the only one who can hear or see me, if you haven’t noticed.”</p><p>Sasuke seemed to relax at Naruto’s rebuttal, but he was still obviously on edge. “Fine. I’m curious because of my brother, okay?”</p><p>“Your brother who was into the occult? Why?”</p><p>Sasuke’s irritation was replaced by hesitancy. “He… did some things. Hurt people. I don’t know why, or even if he did it by himself. I want to know how or if he sold his soul, and if not, whether he went to Heaven or hell.”</p><p>Naruto chewed on his bottom lip. Sasuke wasn’t telling him the whole story, but it was way more than Naruto expected out of him.</p><p>“Naruto,” Sasuke asked, <em>pleaded</em>, “Please. I promise, it’s not for me. I swear. Just… Do this for me, and I won’t ask again.”</p><p>Naruto bit his lip harder, thinking. Sasuke had trusted him enough to tell him something obviously personal. Maybe Naruto should trust Sasuke. Naruto knew he was the only one stupid enough to give Sasuke the answers he wanted so desperately. Maybe that was why Naruto was sent to guide Sasuke. To keep him from getting his answers in other, darker ways.</p><p>“Fine,” Naruto conceded, “I’ll just ask Angel for a refresher course on all this stuff and tell you what they say.”</p><p>Sasuke breathed out a heavy sigh of relief. “But,” Naruto continued, “if it turns out you’re lying to me, I’ll haunt your ass so hard that you get sent to hell early, you got me?”</p><p>With Sasuke’s short nod, Naruto closed his eyes and focused. Focused on heavenly stuff. Warm light and the smell of vanilla.</p><p>He opened his eyes to find himself in his Heaven, this time surrounded by pastries in a little shop. The smell made his mouth water and stomach growl. He hadn’t eaten in days and he was feeling it.</p><p>Naruto grabbed two handfuls of mini cinnamon buns and, with a full mouth, called out for Angel, who appeared not a moment later. “Naruto,” they greeted, “I see you’ve experimented with your Heaven!”</p><p>Naruto shook his head up and down, nodding furiously. “Why am I so hungry?” he asked between mouthfuls, “I’m dead, shouldn’t I not need to eat?”</p><p>Angel took a seat at one of the shop’s little tables, gesturing for Naruto to join them. <em>They must know that I’ve got some questions from Sasuke.</em> “You don’t need to eat, but you still can. If that is the pleasure your Soul seeks, your Heaven will provide it.”</p><p>“So I’m just eating because I like food?” Naruto sat down, finishing the last of his cinnamon rolls.</p><p>“Essentially, yes.”</p><p>Naruto focused, hard. There was a new, overwhelming smell of miso as Naruto opened his eyes to the large bowl in front of him. He excitedly picked up a pair of chopsticks. “I’ve been craving some Ichiraku Ramen for <em>years</em>,” he explained before digging in. Angel smiled from across the table, waiting patiently for Naruto to get his first few bites in.</p><p>“Mmh, that’s so good,” Naruto breathed, a lone noodle hanging out of the side of his mouth. “You want some?”</p><p>“No, thank you,” Angel replied, “I have no need or desire to eat. But I appreciate the offer.”</p><p>Naruto continued wolfing down his bowl, eventually remembering that he needed to figure out how to approach the subject of a million questions with Angel. It took some deliberation, but Naruto decided the direct approach would be best.</p><p>“Hey, Angel?” he began, “How does the whole Heaven system work? Like, who gets to go to Heaven and who gets sent to hell?”</p><p>“Everyone comes to Heaven, Naruto, unless they sell their soul,” Angel stated, eyes fixed on Naruto’s own.</p><p>“Really? Everyone?” Naruto asked, taking another bite. Angel nodded. “That’s… a lot of people. How many people sell their souls, really?”</p><p>Angel pressed a finger to their chin, as though in thought. “It comes and goes with the generations. During times of great suffering, more people sell their souls than in times of splendour.”</p><p>“Can you give me a number?” Naruto asked, “Like. A rough yearly estimate.” He took another bite.</p><p>“Millions,” Angel replied softly. Naruto accidentally choked on some of his ramen, coughing.</p><p>“That’s more than I was expecting,” he said, setting his chopsticks down. He wondered if he’d ever met anyone who sold their soul. Gaara seemed the type, but he really hoped he wasn’t gonna have to save him, too. “Why do they do it? Sell their souls?”</p><p>Angel sighed, saddened by the topic. “I do not know. Why anyone would stray from God’s love is a mystery to us Angels. I suppose each human has their own answer.”</p><p>Time for the big question. “How do they do it? Sell their souls?” Naruto’s heart raced as he asked, feeling almost sweaty. To his surprise, Angel didn’t hesitate to tell him.</p><p>“Some are approached by demons directly, others summon them. I do not know of the rituals needed, though I’m certain it is purely intent that would bring a true demon to a willing human.”</p><p>“So as long as someone wants to summon a demon, they will?” Angel nodded. Naruto frowned deeply. “What… What happens to them? To the humans who sell their souls?”</p><p>“Upon death they are sent to hell, where there is no love and there is no light. It is nothing but cold and isolation for the rest of eternity.”</p><p>There was silence between Angel and Naruto as he considered Sasuke. Sasuke was already isolated from what Naruto could tell. The thought of him being sent to a place like that, with no bonds or connections, made Naruto’s heart lurch.</p><p>“Have you heard of the Apocalypse, Naruto?” Angel asked. It caught Naruto off guard, being asked a question by Angel, particularly on something religious.</p><p>“Um, not really. I know it’s supposed to be the end of the world or something.” Naruto was pretty sure he’d heard the term used in a tv show or two, maybe an episode of the Simpsons.</p><p>“You’re on the right track. The Apocalypse could very well end the Earth as you know it.”</p><p>Naruto stared at Angel, suddenly scared. “Is- Is it happening? Is the world ending? Is that why you’re mentioning it?” Naruto asked. He was swamped with fear and anxiety. Angel grasped his hand as they tried to soothe him.</p><p>“No, no, not yet. Not for a very long time. But it has everything to do with Heaven and hell.” Naruto felt Angel’s peacefulness and serenity wash through him, helping him feel better. “You see, Angels and demons differ in our love of humans. God and Angels believe every human is special and deserving of love. Demons and the devil do not.</p><p>“At the time of the Apocalypse, Angels will fight to free the human Souls from hell. Demons will fight to keep them there, as they have collected them from the Earth’s surface. This is the fight Angels prepare for, and why you have been asked to save Sasuke.”</p><p>Naruto furrowed his brow. “I don’t get it? What’s Sasuke have to do with the Apocalypse?”</p><p>“The less Souls trapped in hell, the better for the Angels rescuing them. Sasuke, in particular, has a very bright and resilient Soul. Sasuke would be a great asset, should he choose after death to fight with us Angels against hell.”</p><p>Naruto removed his hand from Angel’s, frowning. “You want Sasuke to fight in the Apocalypse? Against hell?” He didn’t know how to feel about this information. Could Sasuke get hurt?</p><p>“You may tell Sasuke, if you wish,” Angel said, standing and giving Naruto his space before Naruto had the chance to ask anything else. “Sasuke may, of course, refuse. But his Soul is strong, and God believes his strength may come from you, Naruto.”</p><p>Naruto’s face heated in embarrassment and confusion. “What- What’s that supposed to mean?”</p><p>With that, Angel disappeared, not answering. Naruto still felt a bit on edge. Wars? Apocalypse? Angel had said not to worry about it, but Naruto was feeling left out of something big.</p><p>Naruto knew he hadn’t gotten the answers to all of Sasuke’s questions. He figured that Sasuke might not care after Naruto told him what he’d just learned.</p><p>Naruto appeared back in Sasuke’s room to see Sasuke nose-deep in a book, <em>How to Kill the Dead</em>. After noticing Naruto’s presence, Sasuke smirked. “Hey, I was just reading about you,” he teased, shaking the book slightly.</p><p>“Sasuke,” Naruto began seriously, catching Sasuke’s attention, “there’s- there’s something I think you should know.”</p><p> </p><p>“They want me to help them fight against hell? That’s-”</p><p>“Only if you want to!” Naruto interrupted from his spot on the floor, “Angel really stressed that part.”</p><p>Sasuke’s shoulders were tense as he sat on his bed, frowning. Naruto couldn’t blame him, what with the bomb shell he’d just dropped. Sasuke probably had a million questions that Naruto couldn’t answer.</p><p>“And every soul goes to Heaven unless otherwise agreed. No matter the sin?” Sasuke looked to Naruto, trying to reconfirm what he’d heard. Naruto nodded. “So unless he sold his soul, my brother is…” Sasuke trailed off. Naruto wanted to say something to help ease whatever it was that Sasuke was feeling, but he figured if Sasuke wanted him to know about his brother that he would tell him when the time came.</p><p>“There’s something else I wanted to ask you about,” Naruto began, trying to choose the right words, “Angel said that, um, I might… Give your soul strength, somehow? Do you know what that was all about?”</p><p>Sasuke looked like a deer in headlights for a moment, much to Naruto’s confusion. He tilted his head to the left and waited as Sasuke stared at him, his cheeks heating. “It’s nothing,” Sasuke muttered, looking away red-faced. Wait, why was he embarrassed? Naruto’s the one that apparently had some secret Soul Steroid that he didn’t know about.</p><p>“Do you think it’s fair?” Sasuke asked suddenly. Naruto blinked back at him, puzzled.</p><p>“Is what fair?” he asked.</p><p>Sasuke slid off of his bed and sat on the floor, leaning against his bed frame. In this position he and Naruto were eye level. “That everyone goes to Heaven. I mean, that hardly seems right.”</p><p>Naruto shrugged. “I dunno, makes sense to me. Eternity is a long time, ya know? I think everyone deserves a happily ever after, eventually.”</p><p>Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Of course <em>you’d</em> say that. But think about everyone else- why do the devout and pious get the same treatment as people who don’t care? You can’t tell me,” Sasuke almost tripped over the word, “<em>murderers</em> deserve a happily ever after.”</p><p>“I think mine does,” Naruto said softly, rubbing at his hands. Sasuke stilled. The room was quiet enough that Naruto could hear the house settling.</p><p>“You didn’t tell me that you were killed by someone.” Naruto glanced up and saw anger and confusion brewing in Sasuke’s eyes, feelings that were on Naruto’s behalf.</p><p>Naruto shrugged again. “It didn’t really come up. I figured you knew, what with the whole knife-in-the-back thing.”</p><p>Sasuke, judging by his silence, didn’t know. Naruto began to feel some sort of shame creeping up on him, like he should’ve been smarter or known better. That he should’ve stopped it.</p><p>Sasuke’s voice came out softer than Naruto had ever heard him. “Can… Can I ask what happened?” Naruto felt that shame hitting him harder, but he pushed it down, trying to maintain an air of indifference in front of Sasuke.</p><p>“I don’t know everything that happened, so just putting that out there,” he laughed, “um. Well, it was my birthday, and I headed back home early. Mr. Iruka was still getting things ready for that night- cake and stuff, ya know? And at some point there was a knock on the door, and Mr. Iruka said it was Mist- um, Mizuki. He told me happy birthday.</p><p>“Mr. Iruka left at some point to finish wrapping up my birthday gift, and that’s when I heard Mizuki shout something, and then I felt this really bad pain in my back. I felt where the knife- for the cake, I’m guessing- went inside, and then- then he kinda drug it down deeper, and-” Naruto had to pause to collect himself.</p><p>“I don’t think I died right away, because I remember being in an ambulance, and I think a hospital, and I just remember thinking that the knife was so big and my back hurt so bad and then. Then I woke up in Heaven, and Angel was there, and you know the rest.”</p><p>Sasuke was gazing at him intently. Finally, he asked, “Why do you keep trying to laugh it off? Your death.”</p><p>Naruto wiped at his face. “I dunno, I guess because I should’ve known better. I knew Mister- shit, <em>Mizuki</em> back from before I met Mr. Iruka, back when I was more of a troublemaker. I got him fired from his job at the middle school.”</p><p>“How’d you do that?”</p><p>“I put a whoopie cushion on his chair and he lost it in front of everybody. Said some pretty PG-13 stuff, if you catch my drift.”</p><p>Sasuke frowned. “I think you mean he got <em>himself</em> fired for yelling obscenities at a child.”</p><p>“Maybe. I used to prank him a lot, though. After he got fired, I heard his wife left him. When I met Mr. Iruka, they were already friends. I shouldn’t have- I dunno, I should’ve done something. I shouldn’t have made him angry with me in the first place, really.” Naruto tried to laugh, but couldn’t.</p><p>Sasuke looked like he wanted to say something but couldn’t find the words. Instead, he stuck his foot out to be close to Naruto’s leg. Naruto appreciated the gesture.</p><p>“Anyway, yeah. I still don’t want him to go to hell for eternity,” Naruto said. Sasuke pursed his lips together.</p><p>“That makes one of us.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>*rubs my gay little hands* aw yeah, it's all coming together</p><p>Special shout-out to freakontour who has made some stellar observations about this fic! I swear, you're galaxy-brained. However, what eventually happens to Sasuke remains to be accurately guessed...</p><p>I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. This Is What Happens When You Die</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Instead of Naruto meeting Sasuke by the school gates and making one-sided conversation until lunch time, Naruto got Sasuke’s permission to meet outside of his house in the mornings so that they could walk to school together. It certainly wasn’t the worst way to spend the remainder of the autumn months, and it would help Sasuke to not be so grouchy come noon time.</p><p>“I’ve been thinking,” Sasuke began, holding his backpack straps tight, “I wonder what that Angel means by wanting me to join in Armageddon.” Naruto glanced over at Sasuke, waiting for him to continue. “I mean, I’m just a person. Does that mean human souls are as strong as an Angel’s? As a demon’s?”</p><p>Naruto let the question swim around in his head for a minute before offering, “Ya know, I’m not sure. I could ask Angel about it?”</p><p>Sasuke didn’t look too keen on the suggestion. “No, thanks, I don’t think I trust them.”</p><p>Naruto was shocked. “What do you mean you don’t trust Angel?” he asked, bewildered. Angel was the epitome of love and goodness! What could possibly make them not trustworthy?</p><p>“Well, think about it, Naruto,” Sasuke began, using his fingers to tick off his points, “For starters, they’re your only contact in Heaven and they’ve been keeping you in the dark on a lot of stuff. They won’t tell you about me, or why you’re so important to keeping me from going to hell, and they’re definitely biased as hell towards God’s way.”</p><p>“First of all, they’re my only contact because I want them to be. I’m not too hype on the idea of hanging out with all the dead people I know yet,” Naruto began, trying to remember Sasuke’s points so that he could prove how wrong he was. “Second, they can’t tell me stuff because God works in mysterious ways or whatever! And what the hell do you mean they’re biased towards God? That’s a good thing!”</p><p>“I disagree. I think God might be wrong on a few things.”</p><p>“Oh yeah? Like what?”</p><p>Sasuke thought for a second. “Okay, number one, God allows babies to die. Number two, God doesn’t punish the wicked. Number three, God keeps humans in the dark about things that directly affect us as though we’re too stupid to make decisions for ourselves.”</p><p>Naruto struggled to find proper words for this heathen he called a friend. “Okay, you have a fair point, but it’s God, Sasuke! The whole idea is that God knows what’s best!”</p><p>“Exactly!” Sasuke countered, “And who’s perpetuating that? God and the Angels, a.k.a. the authority. Don’t be a sheep, Naruto.”</p><p>“Don’t call me a sheep!”</p><p>“Then don’t be one, dumbass!”</p><p>And that’s how they argued until they reached the gates. Sasuke had to stop insulting Naruto so that he could protect his image of maintaining sanity, but Naruto had free reign to call Sasuke all of the names in the book.</p><p>Unfortunately, Naruto didn’t know a lot of names and he didn’t read a lot of books, so that was a bust.</p><p>After about ten minutes of ignoring Mr. Yamamura in favor of watching the way Sasuke wrote his notes (left-handed, with ‘S’s that looked more like ‘5’s), Naruto began to think back to their earlier conversation. Sasuke had a fair point on some things. Angel said humans suffer to learn love and whatnot, but kids didn’t deserve to die. Especially babies that were more like little eating bags than people.</p><p>Angel hadn’t told Naruto about Sasuke and the Apocalypse until just recently, either. But, to be fair, they told Naruto without Naruto even asking, which kinda broke their pattern of giving information when asked. Still. Why would Angel tell Naruto some things and not others? Was Sasuke right about God thinking humans were stupid? Or was it more manipulative than that?</p><p>Naruto glanced at the clock that ticked slowly over the whiteboard. He still had over three hours to kill before Sasuke would talk to him again. He decided that a quick pop-in to Heaven wouldn’t hurt, especially because the thought of lunchtime made Naruto want to eat Ichiraku’s again.</p><p>Heaven was different on this visit, too. This time Naruto was in a movie theater, sitting in one of the red seats with a bucket of popcorn on his left and a bowl of Ichiraku Ramen in his lap. The movie hadn’t started yet, leaving the screen and room dark.</p><p>“Angel?” Naruto called. Angel appeared in the seat to Naruto’s right, sitting properly in the fold-out chair.</p><p>“Yes, Naruto?” Angel replied.</p><p>Naruto held out the bucket of popcorn to Angel in offering, which Angel refused by shaking their head with one hand held up in front of their face. Naruto shrugged and dug into his Ichiraku with fervor, cherishing the taste.</p><p>“I had some more questions. About God?” Angel nodded, a silent urge for Naruto to continue. “Why… Why do bad things happen to people who can’t protect themselves? And if God is really so loving and good, why can’t humans just be told the truth about everything? Why leave us in the dark about things, like Heaven and- and the Apocalypse?”</p><p>Angel didn’t miss a beat. “Well, it all comes back to free will. God is all-loving, yes, but also all-knowing. If God answered all of your questions, things coming down to what humans should do or what’s going to happen, it would rob you of that freedom. Take your friend, Sasuke, for example,” Angel said, handing Naruto a napkin that seemed to appear out of thin air.</p><p>“Sasuke?” Naruto interrupted, wiping his face. He wondered if Angel knew about the conversation between himself and Sasuke that morning.</p><p>“Do you remember when I first asked if you’d like to help Sasuke?” Angel asked. Naruto nodded.</p><p>“Yeah, you said Sasuke might sell his soul and only I could help him.”</p><p>“You always had the option to say ‘no’- you still do,” Angel told him, “and Sasuke may or may not sell his soul. If I told you how to stop Sasuke or what the consequences of your actions would be, that would come close to robbing you of your free will. If you know everything that may happen, like God does, there is a chance that you may no longer feel as though you have a choice. This is why I cannot tell you how to save Sasuke, nor why you are so integral. That would also impact Sasuke’s free will.”</p><p>Naruto was silent for a minute, mulling it over. “Is that why bad stuff happens on Earth, then? You don’t stop it because of free will?”</p><p>“You are correct,” Angel said, “though it is not easy to see. Every action on Earth has a ripple effect. As much as us Angels would like to stop, say, a driver from driving while intoxicated, we cannot. That would prevent death and birth alike, and would rob Earth of its-”</p><p>“Free will,” Naruto muttered. He didn’t like it, but he was beginning to understand. If you stop the bad, you stop the good, too. Something still didn’t sit right with him, though. Sasuke had a choice whether to join the Angels in the Apocalypse, but the thought of Sasuke being selected and used like a tool- it made Naruto ache on his behalf.</p><p>“It hurts me to see you hurting,” Angel said, brushing a piece of hair behind Naruto’s ear, “What is wrong?”</p><p>“Will Sasuke be okay?” Naruto asked, “I mean. Can his soul be… destroyed? In this fight?”</p><p>“Of course not!” Angel replied. Their voice and eyes made it seem like they were appalled at the idea, as though it hurt them just by Naruto asking. “There is no such thing as a Soul disappearing- neither God nor the Angels would ever risk any Soul’s health or well-being.”</p><p>“Then what does it mean? For Sasuke to fight in the Apocalypse? I know you’re telling me all that you can, but still, I- I just don’t understand. Aren’t you using Sasuke like this?”</p><p>Angel’s hand raised to grasp at where their heart would have been. “I’m sorry,” they said, eyes glistening, “that you feel like this. Sasuke would never be in harm’s way. Sasuke joining us would only serve to add more power to break through hell’s barrier- a barrier that can only be penetrated with love and light. Do you understand? Imagine a thousand singing voices trying to shatter glass- Sasuke would simply be one of the many voices, trying to save Souls from hell.”</p><p>Naruto sighed at that, relieved. He just didn’t want Sasuke to be hurt or used in any way, even by God. Knowing what he knew now, that Sasuke wasn’t in danger, or being forced- it eased a huge burden from his shoulders. “Thanks, Angel,” he said, setting aside his empty bowl, “and I’m sorry. Does- does this make me bad? For questioning God?”</p><p>Angel smiled. “Of course not. It makes you human.”</p><p> </p><p>Naruto watched a movie before he went back to Sasuke. It was an old movie from his childhood, some animated film with awkward fight scenes and a nonsensical plot, but Naruto loved it nonetheless. He laughed at the surprisingly adult dialogue while filling his face with buttered popcorn.</p><p>Sasuke looked worn out from the day’s classes and he wasn’t even done yet. They sat on the roof as Naruto tried to tell him what Angel said about souls and free will.</p><p>“And you believe them?” Sasuke asked, puzzled. He was actually eating his lunch today, which provided Naruto with a distant sense of relief.</p><p>“Of course I do! They have no reason to lie to me,” Naruto said.</p><p>“You don’t know that. They could have plenty of reasons!”</p><p>Naruto crossed his arms and huffed. “What’s your deal? You don’t even trust an Angel of God? That’s seriously messed up.”</p><p>Sasuke rolled his eyes, taking another bite of his sandwich. “You’re the one who’s weird, you trust too much for your own good.”</p><p>Naruto wanted to argue that he trusted just fine enough, thanks, but he supposed that what with getting literally stabbed in the back not too long ago, he should probably hold his tongue. He decided to just drop the topic for now.</p><p>Speaking of trusting too much, there was something that’d been weighing on Naruto’s mind ever since Angel had first greeted him. Something that Naruto knew influenced why he liked Angel so much.</p><p>“Sasuke,” Naruto started, receiving a grunt from Sasuke who was on his very last bite of sandwich, “when I first met Angel, they called me ‘young man’.”</p><p>“Okay? You are pretty young, Naruto. Barely a man if you ask me, since you can’t vote.”</p><p>Naruto winced slightly before Sasuke had finished his sentence. “No, you don’t get it,” he said, trying to convey his best-kept secret without actually saying it out loud, “I… I’ve got…” Sasuke picked up his water bottle and started drinking. “I’ve got a <em>dick,</em>” Naruto emphasized.</p><p>Sasuke’s eyes snapped open and he started choking on his water. Naruto would’ve clapped him on the back if he could to keep Sasuke from joining him in the afterlife.</p><p>Sasuke’s face was red as he spoke, voice hoarse, “Naruto, what the fuck? Where’d that come from?” He obviously wasn’t getting the point.</p><p>Naruto bit his lip. “No, I mean- I didn’t- I didn’t have one before I died, okay?” Sasuke’s face was still red as he tried to piece together what Naruto was saying. C’mon, it’s obvious!</p><p>“You… were in an accident?” Naruto shook his head ‘no’. Sasuke looked at him, confused. “I don’t- what are you saying?”</p><p>Naruto let out a breath of frustration. “Ugh, God dammit, Sasuke! C’mon, I’m saying I’ve never had one before!”</p><p>It took a few more moments of awkward silence before Sasuke spoke again. “You’re… trans?”</p><p>Naruto nodded furiously, his cheeks as red as Sasuke’s. The two of them could’ve passed for the cherries in Ms. Pac-Man.</p><p>“Ah,” Sasuke said, letting the information sink in. “And you’re telling me now because…?”</p><p>“Because I trust you,” Naruto answered, “and I really, really wanted to tell someone because I’m happy as hell about it. I mean, I’ve never- and they called me ‘young man’!” Naruto was smiling, embarrassment being outweighed by his excitement.</p><p>Sasuke looked like he was still processing what Naruto had just told him. “Ah, good job? Um, that- that’s great, Naruto.” He scratched at the back of his head, looking at the ground.</p><p>Naruto frowned, unease creeping up on him. “Are you good?” he asked. Maybe he shouldn’t have said anything- it was kind of stupid, anyway.</p><p>Sasuke looked up at him then, eyes wider than normal. “What? Yeah, I’m happy for you, just a little… shocked, I guess. I really didn’t expect for you to be- well, you know.”</p><p>Naruto didn’t know what to say, and apparently Sasuke didn’t either. Naruto figured he’d made Sasuke uncomfortable. He wanted to apologize, he just didn’t know how.</p><p>Both of them opened their mouths at the same time, looking at each other, embarrassed. It was at this moment that they could hear the school bells chiming, signalling the end of Sasuke’s lunch period.</p><p>“Are you ready to head back?” Sasuke asked. Naruto nodded, standing up. He waited as Sasuke gathered his garbage together, shoving his empty bottle and used napkin back into his metal lunchbox.</p><p>Naruto hated the silence and felt glad when Sasuke finally broke it. “I’m happy you’re excited, just don’t go whipping it out when we get back to class or something,” he joked. Naruto stuck his tongue out at him.</p><p>“What? Scared you’d lose the size contest?” Naruto asked, wiggling his hips. Sasuke rolled his eyes.</p><p>“That’s the exact attitude I’m talking about, Naruto! Keep it in your pants or I’ll kill you again myself.” Naruto laughed, thinking of about a dozen rebuttals. He was about to tease Sasuke, say that Sasuke just <em>wished</em> he could see it, when he spotted Kiba for the first time since before his death.</p><p>“Hey, Kiba!” he called on instinct. Sasuke turned to follow Naruto’s line of sight. Kiba, of course, didn’t offer any recognition or attention to either of them. He was walking with his head hanging slightly down, eyes unfocused.</p><p>Sasuke frowned after Kiba had walked past them. “Was that really Kiba?” he whispered to Naruto, probably trying to avoid drawing attention from anyone in the hallway.</p><p>Naruto nodded. “Yeah, I think so. I wonder what his deal is though? He never looks like that. ‘S more of Gaara’s thing.” Sasuke said nothing as Naruto thought to himself. “Hey, actually, since you’re heading back to class and all, is it cool if I check in on him?”</p><p>Sasuke nodded slightly, now in a much denser area of students. Naruto gave a quick peace sign that he was sure Sasuke didn’t see as he dashed off, looking for that familiar head of brown hair.</p><p>It was almost exhilarating, walking back into his old classroom. Of course, he’d shown up once or twice before when he was bored, but arriving at the same time as everyone else- like he’d used to- it was almost nostalgic. It was almost like he wasn’t dead for a moment.</p><p>Naruto looked around for Kiba, finding him at Naruto’s old desk. He wasn’t sitting, he was just… Staring. Staring at the seat, unmoving.</p><p>“Kiba?” Hinata asked from behind him. “Class is about to- to start…” she said. She placed a gentle hand on Kiba’s shoulder.</p><p>Kiba didn’t seem to pay attention until a few slow moments later. He took a step back and slouched in his desk, the one right beside Naruto’s. He didn’t stop staring at Naruto’s empty seat, even for a second.</p><p>Naruto frowned. Was Kiba upset that Naruto wasn’t there or something? It wasn’t like Kiba didn’t have other friends. Hell, he’d basically just ignored Hinata, and the two of them were usually pretty close.</p><p>Naruto sat down in his old seat, waving a hand in front of Kiba’s face. “Hello? Kiba? Death to Kiba, do you read me?” Of course Kiba didn’t react. It was only Sasuke that could see Naruto. While normally that was fine, it started to feel a little sucky in this situation.</p><p>The class’ substitute teacher walked in, prattling about something or another. Kiba didn’t react to her, either, even as she officially started her lecture.</p><p>Naruto felt himself start to get upset. What was Kiba’s deal? Was he really just gonna sulk his way through life if Naruto didn’t show up to class?</p><p>On top of that, Naruto began to feel helpless. He was unable to get Kiba’s attention no matter how hard he tried. He even tried ghost-manipulating Kiba’s jacket to give him some sort of sign, but that failed too.</p><p>Naruto glanced around the room at his old classmates. Most of them were just fine. Shikamaru was sleeping, per usual, Chouji snacking from the seat next to him. Sakura was- oh, well Sakura wasn’t at school, and apparently neither was Sai.</p><p>“Kiba,” Hinata whispered, worried, “I- I know it’s hard, but you have to pay attention.”</p><p>The substitute teacher turned around from the board. “Ms. Hyuga? Is there something you’d like to say to the class?” she asked. Hinata’s face turned a bright pink.</p><p>“No, ma’am,” she said, fingers shaking. Naruto knew Hinata had a fear of public speaking- hell, everyone knew that.</p><p>Everyone except this substitute, apparently. “Apparently, you have something to say that is more important than class. Do you care to explain yourself?”</p><p>“Hey, lay off her, lady!” Naruto said to himself as Hinata shook her head. If he wasn’t dead-</p><p>“Leave her alone,” Kiba snapped. All heads in the class turned to look at him, even Shikamaru, who had purple bags under his eyes. “Seriously. She was just trying to help.”</p><p>The substitute crossed her arms. “Mr. Inuzuka, I know you’re grieving, but you have no right to speak that way. This is a classroom.”</p><p>Kiba grit his notoriously sharp teeth. “What? As if you have no idea whose shoes you’re filling. This was still a classroom when he was probably plotting how he was going to fucking kill-”</p><p>“Mr. Inuzuka!” the substitute gasped as Kiba dropped his loud ‘F’ bomb, “That’s enough! Am I going to have to ask you to leave?”</p><p>“Fine! Do it! It’s not like Naruto gets to be here, either!” he yelled, grabbing his books and throwing them in his beat-up backpack. The students and teacher watched him angrily storm out, slamming the door. No one said anything.</p><p>“... If you will please look back at page 137,” the substitute continued, her voice a little shaky. Naruto couldn’t help but feel bad for her.</p><p>Naruto phased through the shut door, following Kiba down the hall. He really wished he could say something. They passed by Sasuke’s classroom, Sasuke giving Naruto a concerned look as Naruto shrugged, pointing at Kiba. He kept trailing after him.</p><p>The front office let Kiba make a phone call to his sister on his cellphone. “Hey, Hana,” he said, sounding tired, “can you come pick me up? Yeah. Yeah. Yes, again.”</p><p>There was a pause as Naruto heard Kiba’s sister shouting through the phone. She was a really sweet lady, but still took after Kiba’s mom when she was pissed. Kiba didn’t seem as intimidated by her as he normally would’ve been. “I don’t care if you tell Mom,” he continued, “but. I really can’t be here right now.”</p><p>Naruto heard Hana speak more through the phone as Kiba nodded along. “Uh-huh. Yeah. Yeah. Okay, see you soon.” A pause as Kiba whispered hurriedly into the phone, “I love you too, bye.” Then he sat down, bag pressed tight against his chest, and waited.</p><p>Naruto sat down next to him, wishing he could say something, anything. Kiba was his best friend, basically. Kiba didn’t know as much about him as Sasuke did, but Naruto knew he’d just gotten a lot chattier after death. It wasn’t like he had as much to fear anymore.</p><p>“Kiba, I wish you could hear me,” Naruto said, staring into Kiba’s eyes. Kiba was staring out into nothing, lost in thought. Naruto groaned, putting his head in his hands.</p><p>“This is so stupid- <em>you’re</em> so stupid! Why are you taking this so damn hard? I’m right-” Naruto felt his voice hitch, “I’m right here.”</p><p>Kiba said nothing.</p><p> </p><p>Naruto wasn’t in the best mood when he went back to Sasuke. Sasuke would cast furtive glances out of the side of his eyes when Mr. Yamamura turned his back to the class. Naruto said nothing, at least until they were walking back to Sasuke’s house a few hours later.</p><p>“Kiba’s a mess,” Naruto grumbled, trying to kick a rock that went straight through his stupid ghost foot.</p><p>“I heard,” Sasuke said, not commenting on Naruto’s failed rock-kicking attempt, “the whole floor did, actually. At least the last part of it.” Naruto looked at him, confused. “The doors were open,” Sasuke supplied.</p><p>Naruto huffed and went back to sulking. “I couldn’t talk to him, Sasuke!” he complained, knowing it wouldn’t do any good, “It’s like- I don’t know. <em>You</em> didn’t act like that after I died.”</p><p>Sasuke laughed humorlessly. “I didn’t know you were dead until you told me. You might not have noticed, being in Heaven half the time and all, but the school’s pretty much figured out what happened.”</p><p>Naruto frowned. “What, that I’m dead?”</p><p>“And that Mizuki killed you. Ino said she even watched a news story on it, that he’s going to trial.”</p><p>Naruto shrugged, not caring about Mizuki. He didn’t want to think about him. “So what? That doesn’t explain why everyone’s acting so weird.”</p><p>Sasuke stopped walking, rounding on him. “Naruto, you’re <em>dead</em>. That’s a pretty big deal.”</p><p>“No, it’s not! People die all the time!”</p><p>“You either die old or tragic, Naruto. Not only were you murdered on your birthday, you were murdered by your <em>teacher</em> for seemingly no reason. Everyone thinks it’s unfair, and everyone thinks they could’ve helped you.”</p><p>There was something in Sasuke’s voice that made it sound like he knew too much about what he was talking about. “You’re not one of them, right?” Naruto asked. “You’re not freaking out about it. Right?”</p><p>Sasuke turned away from him and kept walking. “Of course not.”</p><p>Naruto paced next to him, studying Sasuke’s face. “You’re lying,” he stated. Sasuke said nothing. “Sasuke, what the hell? What’s your deal?”</p><p>Sasuke looked and sounded aggravated as he spoke, “What’s my deal? Naruto! You can’t seriously be this dumb!” Before Naruto could yell back at him, Sasuke continued, “Don’t you get it? We miss you! Yeah, you were loud and annoying, but at least you were alive!”</p><p>The hurt in Sasuke’s voice tore at Naruto’s heart. It caught him off guard. “That doesn’t explain you, though. I’m right here, basically the same as I was! Hell, we’ve talked more since I got,” Naruto made a stabbing motion with his hand, “than we ever did before!”</p><p>“Because it’s not fair!” Sasuke snapped, “Someone should’ve seen it coming, <em>I</em> should’ve seen it coming. If someone had just stopped Mizuki, you’d still be laughing with Kiba or bothering Sakura. You’d get to grow up and get married and be the president or whatever! You always wanted to do good and change the world, and God knows you would have, but instead you’re rotting six feet under being eaten by maggots while the rest of us have to carry on without you!”</p><p>Something hot and wet trailed down Naruto’s face. He tried to ignore it. “It’s not your fault, Sasuke,” he said, “It’s no one’s fault.”</p><p>Sasuke didn’t agree. “Like hell. It’s that damn Mizuki’s fault. I hope he rots in prison.” Sasuke looked over at Naruto. Naruto desperately tried to wipe his face. He didn’t understand why he still cried if he was dead.</p><p>“Naruto, are you-?”</p><p>“I’m fine!” Naruto said hastily, undercut by the loud crack in his voice. Sasuke reached out towards him, his hand slipping through Naruto’s body with no resistance. For some reason, the sight of it made the tears come faster.</p><p>Sasuke looked like he was at a loss. Naruto did his best to compose himself so that they could just pretend that this hadn’t happened. Sasuke stared at him, but said nothing.</p><p>“I’m sorry,” he whispered eventually. Naruto almost didn’t hear him.</p><p>“You’re fine,” he replied, finally getting his emotions under control, “I mean- you’re right, anyway.”</p><p>Sasuke seemed to consider his words carefully. “I meant… About being dead. It must be hard for you.” Naruto shrugged. He didn’t want to admit how lonely he felt when Sasuke wasn’t around. How lonely he felt when it was just the two of them in a crowd of people.</p><p>“Are you okay, Sasuke?” he asked instead. “I really don’t want you to think that me dying is somehow on you. I know it’s frustrating, but there’s nothing you can do to fix what Mizuki did. Might as well just try to let it go, right?”</p><p>Sasuke didn’t answer him at first. “Um, forgive and forget?” Naruto tried again, “Bury the hatchet?”</p><p>Sasuke gripped and ungripped his right hand, lost in thought. They stayed silent the rest of the walk back.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>This was such an emotional chapter for me to write, what with the processing death and coming out. I'll be honest, I forget that there are people out there who <em>don't</em> HC Naruto as trans. When I remembered a few chapters ago, I was a little scared to write him that way, like it would scare people away from this fic. Then I realized that when it's the other way around, when I'm reading a fic with an explicitly trans main character, it makes my week. </p><p>To my fellow trans people: I love you.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Brother's Keeper</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Naruto was relaxing with Sasuke in Sasuke’s room after school, their conversation about being dead still weighing on Naruto’s mind. He couldn’t help himself- he was worried about Kiba. He kept trying to think of ways that he could contact Kiba from the afterlife. If ouija boards worked, he might be able to contact Kiba that way. He’d have to convince him to actually use one first, though, which put him back at square one.</p>
<p>There was Sasuke, of course, but even if Naruto could have convinced Sasuke to tell Kiba the truth about the afterlife, there was still no way in Heaven or hell that Kiba would believe Sasuke was anything more than bat-shit insane. Naruto had always 100% believed in ghosts, but Kiba was more the type to fear a zombie uprising than anything else.</p>
<p>“Naruto, I think I’ve got something,” Sasuke said, shifting in his seat by his desk. Naruto’s head snapped up towards him from his spot on Sasuke’s bed.</p>
<p>“Got something? On what?” Naruto asked. He watched as Sasuke grabbed the book he’d been reading and made his way over to the bed, motioning for Naruto to scoot over. Naruto obliged, and Sasuke sat next to him.</p>
<p>“Look at this,” Sasuke told him, leaning the open book in Naruto’s direction and pointing to a passage, “This was written by someone who said they had a near-death experience that let them talk to a messenger of God- an Angel, basically.”</p>
<p>“Uh-huh, and?”</p>
<p>“And,” Sasuke continued, “it says that unlike Angels, demons can and do walk the Earth. That when demons present themselves to humans they can actually talk to them without being summoned.” Naruto nodded, trying to follow Sasuke’s thinking. “A different book I read specifically mentioned this part here,” Sasuke pointed to a specific sentence in the middle of the page.</p>
<p>
  <em>“... In fact, the appearance of demons as temptors and temptresses throughout history may in itself be a culmination of human culture, serving to persuade and take advantage through omission and assumption on behalf of the living.”</em>
</p>
<p>Naruto tilted his head in confusion as Sasuke pressed on. “The other book made reference to demons presenting themselves as jinn, fairies, leprechauns- you name it. Sometimes they even pass themselves off as Angels.”</p>
<p>“Okay? So they lie about who they are, is what you’re saying.” Naruto still didn’t know where Sasuke was going with this, but he was intrigued nonetheless. There was just something so disturbing about a demon wandering around, stealing souls while pretending to be a pretty pixie with no ulterior motives.</p>
<p>“Not only do they lie about who they are, but think about it: Genies and wishgivers are notorious for being powerful, but grant wishes in sadistic ways, right?”</p>
<p>Naruto shrugged. “I guess so? I haven’t watched <em>Aladdin</em> since I was like, seven.”</p>
<p>Sasuke ignored that comment, which was probably a good thing. “My brother was into the occult,” he said, pushing forward, “What if he met one of these things? What if he trapped it, for research or whatever, and it backstabbed him when it got out? Or, alternatively, what if he was tricked into making a wish?”</p>
<p>“Sasuke, I’m an expert on being stabbed in the back,” Naruto joked, “but I don’t think I’m following here? What does your brother have to do with demons?”</p>
<p>Sasuke shook his head, starting to flip through to a different page in the book he was holding. “The things Itachi did- I’ve been thinking about it for years, and something’s always seemed off. There’s just no way Itachi could’ve done what he did by himself. But a demon? That’d be almost too easy.”</p>
<p><em>What did he do?</em> “You think he made enemies with a demon, and it got ultra-sadistic revenge?” Naruto asked. Sasuke nodded, finally showing Naruto the page he’d been looking for. It was an illustration of a stereotypical demon wreaking havoc on a town, underneath it saying, <em>‘Demons may attack for revenge or retribution.’</em></p>
<p>“I just wish I could know for sure,” Sasuke sighed, finally tossing the book away. It hit the ground and skidded towards one of Sasuke’s ‘read’ piles. “I can’t find anything on contacting the dead, aside from spirit mediums which I’m pretty sure are fake. If I could just talk to Itachi, I’d know for sure <em>why</em>. Maybe,” Sasuke trailed off, speaking softly, “maybe he didn’t do it, after all.”</p>
<p>Naruto, despite his burning curiosity, still didn’t press. He just left Sasuke to his thoughts, the both of them sitting in comfortable silence. At least he was beginning to piece it together- he knew for sure that Itachi may or may not have done something really, really wrong, and that since then he’d for sure passed away.</p>
<p>Suddenly, an idea struck him. Naruto thought that it might not be a good one, but it was worth a shot. “Sasuke,” Naruto started, “what if there <em>is</em> a way to contact Itachi, indirectly? Would… would you be interested in that?”</p>
<p>Sasuke shot up straight. “You know a way to contact my brother? I can speak to him?” he asked, sounding almost hopeful.</p>
<p>Naruto nodded, hesitantly. “Maybe. Kinda. But you might not like it, and it’s totally up to you if you even want to do it, okay?”</p>
<p>“Naruto, just hurry up and tell me! What are you thinking?”</p>
<p>Naruto bit his lip. “Well, Angel told me that in Heaven, it’s possible to talk to other dead people. If- if you want, I can try to ask him some questions for you?”</p>
<p>Sasuke stared at Naruto, expression unreadable aside from a frown and furrowed eyebrows. “So I won’t be able to talk to him myself,” Sasuke murmured. Naruto shook his head.</p>
<p>“No, I don’t think so. And there’s a good chance that he might not talk to me, since he has to give me permission to visit. I’ve also never reached out to anyone in Heaven before, and it’ll probably be harder considering I’ve never met him,” Naruto explained, studying Sasuke’s face. He seemed to be switching between excitement and some sort of fear.</p>
<p>The truth of it was that there was a very slim chance that Naruto could even get in contact with Itachi. And as much as Sasuke had shown that he trusted Naruto, there were still a lot of things that Sasuke hadn’t opened up about yet, and Naruto didn’t want to push him. Talking to his dead brother who may or may not have hurt Sasuke in the past might be crossing a line.</p>
<p>Sasuke thought. And thought. And thought some more. Naruto wasn’t sure what to do in this situation, choosing to fiddle with his thumbs while Sasuke took his time. He just wanted to help Sasuke shoulder the burden he was carrying, whatever it was.</p>
<p>“Fine,” Sasuke said, “let’s just see if you can get in contact with him, first.”</p>
<p>“Are you sure?” Naruto asked. Sasuke was almost scowling as he went through a dusty drawer, shifting with nervous energy.</p>
<p>“I don’t like it,” Sasuke said, “but I need answers. <em>If</em> he talks to you, I’ll decide what to ask.” Sasuke had the disposition of someone deciding to rip off a band-aid.</p>
<p>Naruto got up and followed Sasuke to the drawer he was rummaging through. He looked over Sasuke’s shoulder as he pulled out an old image, one that looked a lot like the painting at the top of the stairs. The only difference was that the children in it seemed a little older in Sasuke’s photo.</p>
<p>“This,” Sasuke said, pointing to the tallest boy in the picture, “is Itachi. That’s what he looked like when he died.”</p>
<p>
  <em>He’s so young…</em>
</p>
<p>Naruto wanted to say something to calm Sasuke’s nerves, or express sympathy at his lost brother, but he didn’t want Sasuke to take his words as pity. He decided that the best thing to show his support would be to do his best to find Itachi. “Okay. I’ll be back soon,” Naruto promised.</p>
<p>Sasuke nodded. “Hurry,” he urged, putting the photo away once again.</p>
<p>Naruto had gotten better at switching between Heaven and Earth. With one blink he could appear in either, totally ready and not disorientated at all. It was a pretty big deal to Naruto, who as of late couldn’t exactly train his non-death related skills.</p>
<p>Once in Heaven, Naruto wasted no time. Sasuke was waiting for him, counting on him. He let out a breath and focused his soul. He felt himself grow calmer, sort of like a third eye had opened. He could feel the strange pulse of Heaven, like a heartbeat, and follow the threads of souls tugging and pulling every which direction. It would have been overwhelming if not for the pulse of his own soul holding him down.</p>
<p>Naruto felt the tug of those two souls calling for him. He let out a long breath as he ignored them, trying to call out to Itachi’s soul and having no luck. He wasn’t even sure he was doing this right. He called out Itachi’s name, imagining his face, mentally adding that Sasuke wanted to see him, too, that Naruto wasn’t just some stranger.</p>
<p>It was surprisingly difficult to keep up. After a few minutes, or possibly an hour, he wasn’t sure, Naruto had to open his eyes and catch his breath. “Angel?” he called out, voice raspy. He really hated to call on Angel <em>again</em>, but it was for Sasuke.</p>
<p>“Yes?” Angel replied from behind him. Naruto turned to look over his shoulder, certain by the way Angel looked at him that they knew what he was doing. Hell, as hard as he was calling out for Itachi the entirety of Heaven probably knew.</p>
<p>“Am I doing this right?” he asked. “I’m trying to call out for a soul.”</p>
<p>Angel nodded. Bingo. “You are doing excellent, however…” Angel trailed off, avoiding Naruto’s gaze.</p>
<p>“However?” Naruto urged. Was he messing up somehow? Or did Itachi just not want to see him? Not like he could blame the guy- Naruto himself had been avoiding people ever since he first got to Heaven.</p>
<p>“You cannot contact Itachi this way,” Angel said. They looked a weird kind of sad, like Naruto had just dropped an ice cream cone directly into a furnace.</p>
<p>“Why not?”</p>
<p>“Because Itachi is not here,” Angel said. That gave Naruto pause.</p>
<p>“But… Are you saying he’s alive?” Angel shook their head ‘no’.</p>
<p>That wasn’t- that didn’t make sense. Itachi was a child when he died. All kids went to Heaven, right? Unless there was some sort of afterlife daycare?</p>
<p>Angel, as always, seemed to guess what Naruto was thinking. “Itachi sold his soul before he died. He is not here.”</p>
<p>Naruto felt himself start to get angry, and confused. He wished Sasuke would’ve told him more about Itachi so that he could be upset on his behalf properly. In the end, though, Naruto was too out of the loop to feel anything except useless.</p>
<p>“Itachi was basically a baby, though? I- I saw his picture, he couldn’t have been more than fourteen or fifteen.” Why would God let him go to hell?</p>
<p>“Unfortunately, Itachi was something of a special case. Certain ranks of demons can sense the power of souls, and unlike Angels, they do not care what lengths they must go through to lay their claims. Even if it is on a child.”</p>
<p>“Why would God let this happen? I swear, if the answer is ‘free will’ I’m- I’ll kick something!” Naruto said, looking around desperately for something to take hostage. “They can just- they think because someone’s a little different that they can just-”</p>
<p>It hit Naruto, then, that the Angels had asked Naruto to keep Sasuke from selling his soul. “Is- Do you think something like that is happening with Sasuke? Does a demon have their eyes on him?”</p>
<p>Angel didn’t answer. Naruto interpreted the silence louder than he would’ve heard any words. “How do I stop it? The demon?” he asked.</p>
<p>Angel sighed. “Naruto, all that you are asked is to keep Sasuke from selling his soul. I cannot and will not tell you to fight a demon. It would put you and Sasuke in danger to do so alone, both spiritually and mentally.”</p>
<p>“You can’t tell me to do nothing, either! This is my free will, I’m choosing to fight this thing! If that’s so bad, why can’t you or- or other souls help, huh?”</p>
<p>“I know that it is hard, Naruto, but we must fight with love and forgiveness in mind. Sasuke is important to you, but God’s love is limitless. We must remember to pity these demons, not hate them.”</p>
<p>It bothered Naruto. Something about this whole situation reeked, and it left him needing to breathe. He still needed to tell Sasuke what he’d learned, which was sure to make Sasuke frustrated, as well.</p>
<p>“I’m leaving,” Naruto said. He blinked hard.</p>
<p>Sasuke shot up as soon as he saw Naruto, his eyes imploring. “Well?” he asked.</p>
<p>“He’s… He’s not there, Sasuke,” Naruto told him. Sasuke frowned.</p>
<p>“What do you mean he’s not there?”</p>
<p>“I mean, I couldn’t talk to him because he’s not in Heaven.”</p>
<p>Naruto watched as Sasuke’s face contorted in multiple ways, finally settling on anger as he turned around and shoved his books off of his desk. “Damn it!” he shouted, flipping over his chair, “Are you telling me he sold his soul? That he wanted it to happen?”</p>
<p>Naruto didn’t know what to say. He watched as Sasuke paced the room, his hands in his hair. “What did they say?” Sasuke asked, “What did that Angel tell you?”</p>
<p>Naruto shifted on his feet. “They said that Itachi was special, like you, and that a demon got their hands on him before Heaven could do anything. There might be a demon after you, too, and I have no idea how to fight it.”</p>
<p>Sasuke paused. “You asked how to fight it?”</p>
<p>Naruto nodded. “Well, duh! But I couldn’t get an answer from Angel, sorry. We’ll have to figure it out by ourselves.” Naruto looked around the room. “Well, you will, since I can’t read your books,” he said.</p>
<p>Sasuke seemed to switch from anger to deep thought. “No, that’s- you couldn’t get an answer? As in you think that there is a way that Angel’s not telling you?”</p>
<p>“Yeah, I think so,” Naruto replied, “Why? Do you have a plan?” Naruto didn’t want whatever was trailing Sasuke to hurt him. Especially since Sasuke said that they could disguise themselves as freaking <em>Angels</em>. They’d have to figure out how to stop it before it reached that point.</p>
<p>“Not yet, but I can come up with one.” Sasuke picked up the books he’d tossed and put them back on the desk. He began reading once again.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Sasuke was so obsessed in his readings that it worried Naruto. All Sasuke would do now was read those books or watch weird videos on YouTube. Even in class, Sasuke ate, drank, and breathed supernatural books and theories, writing down questions to research and his current plans on how to contact Itachi and the demon following him.</p>
<p>Naruto told Sasuke that summoning a demon was all mindset. It only came about after Sasuke mentioned a ritual requiring a large blood sacrifice. Worried that Sasuke might start bloodletting to stock up, Naruto encouraged him to find a less gruesome ritual and focus on the demon extra hard.</p>
<p>It was Saturday that Naruto appeared in Sasuke’s house at maybe ten or so. Sasuke hadn’t greeted him outside, which Sasuke had said was fine, to just come in anyway. Naruto entered Sasuke’s room by floating through the door, finding Sasuke asleep at his desk and drooling onto a particularly thick book.</p>
<p>“Sasuke,” Naruto said. He would’ve shaken him awake if he could. “Sasuke, wake up.”</p>
<p>Sasuke murmured, shifting. He blinked his eyes, catching a glimpse of Naruto and slowly lifted up his head. He looked like he could use a few more hours of rest.</p>
<p>“Sasuke, let’s take a break today, okay? I know you’re driven and all, but I think you need to step away from all this. So your brain doesn’t break.”</p>
<p>Sasuke rubbed his eyes as he tried to catch up to what was happening. His voice was groggy as he spoke. “What? No, I’ve gotta… I’m getting close. Close to figuring out how to kill a demon.”</p>
<p>For some reason, Naruto remembered what Angel had said about pity and the demons. What happened if you killed a demon? Nonexistence? That seemed a little too cruel.</p>
<p>Naruto decided to drop it for now. “No, c’mon, Sasuke. Look at you. You’ll figure out the answers you want better by taking a break. Just one day, alright?”</p>
<p>Sasuke rubbed the sleep from his eyes, his mouth set in a frown. “You expect me to go have fun while my brother rots in hell?”</p>
<p>“What? No- that’s not what I-” Naruto stumbled for words. Sasuke waited for an answer. “I just don’t want you to run yourself ragged like this,” Naruto admitted. “Look at you, you’re falling asleep while reading and you look like death. And I would know.”</p>
<p>“It’s none of your business,” Sasuke bit out, undermined only by the way he wiped drool from his chin.</p>
<p>Naruto clenched his fists. “Like hell it’s not! You’re the reason I’m even here right now, and I’m worried about you!”</p>
<p>Sasuke looked at him with a weird expression. Naruto paused, face heating. “I mean, not worried, not about you, I mean- I mean you are my duty right now, and I’m worried about you in the sense that I don’t want to break my promise of keeping you safe. Um, your soul, I mean.”</p>
<p>Sasuke kept staring at him as Naruto tripped over his words. He was making the situation sound weird and the more he talked the more he made it worse. “God damn it, fine, I’ll just leave,” he huffed. He closed his eyes.</p>
<p>“No, wait,” Sasuke said. Naruto paused, one eye opening slowly. “Listen. Even if I took a break, I can’t focus on anything else right now. Itachi is my goal. I can’t rest until I know what happened to him.”</p>
<p>“I mean, I kind of get that, but still. You don’t have to rest, just… Leave the house. Do something that isn’t demon related for a bit.”</p>
<p>Sasuke shook his head. “No, Itachi is more important right now.”</p>
<p>Naruto groaned. “Sasuke, you haven’t even showered in days. I know for a fact you haven’t been eating. How are you gonna catch a demon if you can’t even take care of yourself?”</p>
<p>“I’ll do it just fine,” Sasuke bit out. Naruto pursed his lips. The two of them were the same in how stubborn they could be. He needed to get through to Sasuke somehow, show him what he was doing to himself.</p>
<p>He had an idea.</p>
<p>“Look, can you just do me a quick favor?” Naruto asked, pressing his hands together. Sasuke raised an eyebrow. “Can you visit Mr. Iruka for me?”</p>
<p>Mr. Iruka was always a mother hen to Naruto. If he could convince Sasuke to visit him, surely Sasuke would get the same treatment. He’d at least get a free meal out of the deal.</p>
<p>Sasuke’s eyes widened for a moment before he frowned. Naruto hit him with the best pleading look he could manage. Sasuke breathed out a heavy sigh. “Fine,” he said, running a hand through greasy black hair. Naruto refrained from jumping in the air. “Let me take a shower first.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Since Mr. Iruka lived close to the school, Naruto and Sasuke decided to walk. Sasuke had wanted to take the limo to make the trip faster, but Naruto had convinced him that if they walked they could talk more openly about what Sasuke had read in his books. Sasuke had looked like he didn’t believe Naruto’s reasoning, but relented anyway.</p>
<p>Sasuke told Naruto about some of what he’d been reading, particularly about the physical manifestations of demons. He talked about the individual cases of people that had described the forms of demons they’d seen and how they’d been tempted, but that Sasuke hadn’t found any firsthand accounts of completed deals with demons.</p>
<p>Demons have been known to kill, but it wasn’t common. Sasuke listed out reasoning for it, the one Naruto agreeing with the most being that the more people killed the less souls there were to turn. Naruto asked how easy it was for a demon to kill a human, and Sasuke shrugged. “Probably pretty easy. Humans are weak.”</p>
<p>Naruto thought about that. He didn’t know if he agreed- humans were spiritually strong enough, he supposed. Sasuke himself was an example of that.</p>
<p>“So, why do you really want to go to Iruka’s?” Sasuke asked. “What are you hoping to get out of this?”</p>
<p>Naruto shrugged. “Um, honestly I wasn’t thinking of what I was gonna get out of it. I guess it’d just be nice to see him again.”</p>
<p>Sasuke let out a sound of agreement. It was quiet as they walked, now that Sasuke wasn’t reciting his notes. Which he’d brought with him in a backpack, for some reason.</p>
<p>“You’re ready, right?” Sasuke asked. Naruto didn’t know what he meant. “Remember Kiba? This’ll be worse than that.”</p>
<p>“You think?” Naruto asked, sincere. He couldn’t imagine much worse than Kiba’s freak out. Even if Mr. Iruka missed him, he wasn’t the type to lash out. Naruto had pushed that boundary more than once, so he would know.</p>
<p>Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Duh, dumbass. He adopted you. You’re his kid.”</p>
<p>Sasuke’s words bounced in Naruto’s chest, making him feel strange. While he’d lived with Mr. Iruka for years, it wasn’t common to be told he was his kid. Most people thought that they were just close for a student and their teacher.</p>
<p>As Mr. Iruka’s apartment building came into focus, Naruto suddenly remembered how it had felt when Kiba couldn’t see him. He was glad that Sasuke was here this time, at least. Maybe he could give Mr. Iruka some secret message, so that he’d know he was okay. But what could he say?</p>
<p>As Naruto pondered, Sasuke walked up to number three and knocked politely on the door.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Summoning a Snake</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It took Sasuke knocking twice before there was an eventual shuffling sound and a distant “one minute!” Naruto could hear a muffled garbage bag and the clinking of plates before the door eventually cracked open, revealing only half of Mr. Iruka’s face.</p><p>He looked absolutely terrible. His normal complexion was much more pale, as though he hadn’t seen the sun in ages. His face was gaunt and there were deep purple rings under his eyes. His hair was out of his normal ponytail, instead sticking to his face and neck in knots. The sight threw Naruto off guard.</p><p>“Hi. It’s Sasuke, Sasuke Uchiha. From homeroom.”</p><p>Mr. Iruka’s face lit in recognition. He opened the door a little wider. Naruto leaned past him and saw that the usually immaculate apartment was dark and presumably dirty, judging by the overflowing trash can and plates lined up on the kitchen counter.</p><p>“Sasuke! What a surprise! What are you doing here?” Mr. Iruka ran his fingers through his thick, brown hair, trying to pull out a few of the knots in an effort to look presentable.</p><p>“I just stopped by for a visit,” Sasuke replied. “I hope that’s okay.”</p><p>Mr. Iruka nodded before looking over his shoulder into the apartment. “Um, the place is- it’s not exactly the nicest it’s looked, but you’re welcome to come in, if you’d like.” Sasuke nodded. Mr. Iruka held the door open wide enough for Sasuke to enter, taking his shoes off as Mr. Iruka quickly padded past him to the kitchen.</p><p>“I haven’t exactly been on top of chores lately,” Mr. Iruka began, shoving plates into the sink. His entire demeanor was more shaky and out of it than Naruto had ever seen him. “I, um, would offer you tea, but we don’t have any. Would you like a glass of water?”</p><p>Sasuke stood in the middle of the living room, which was littered with Chinese take-out and pizza boxes. “No, thanks,” he replied. He looked like he didn’t know what to do with himself. He just stood while Mr. Iruka hastily rushed over with a half-filled garbage bag, shoving trash in with shaky hands.</p><p>“I’m really so sorry for the mess. You can have a seat anywhere,” Mr. Iruka said, gesturing to the couch and lone recliner that sat by the television. It was set to the twenty-four hour news channel.</p><p>Sasuke nodded, sitting on the right side of the couch. There were still bits of red and blue paint on it from the time Naruto dropped his art project on the cushions. He’d had a hell of a time cleaning it, too. Eventually both he and Mr. Iruka had accepted defeat. Mr. Iruka had still taken him to get ramen after, though.</p><p>Mr. Iruka finally sat down in the recliner, on the edge of his seat with his hands clasped in front of him. “What brings you by, Sasuke?” he asked.</p><p>Sasuke shifted. “I’m actually here about Naruto,” he answered. “I wanted to know how you were doing.”</p><p>Mr. Iruka offered a small smile. “How I’m doing? I’m doing…” He paused, his face and shoulders slumping. He took a shuddering breath as he looked to the floor. “I’m not doing okay. I just- I keep thinking he’s going to walk through that door any minute now, and tell me about his day, and ask what’s for dinner. I… I feel like my heart has been ripped from me. No, actually, it’s worse than that. It hurts so much that I can’t possibly describe it.”</p><p>Mr. Iruka looked like he was about to cry. Naruto’s fingers twitched, wishing he could do something. He’d wanted to see Mr. Iruka again, but this wasn’t the man he’d known. A week ago he’d scolded Naruto for eating his dinner too hurriedly, laughing as Naruto responded that Mr. Iruka’s cooking was just too good. Now he looked like a corpse incapable of anything but mourning.</p><p>“Ah, but you must be sad, too,” Mr. Iruka began, once again making eye contact with Sasuke. “You and Naruto were pretty close, right?” Sasuke took a second before slowly nodding. “Naruto always came home talking about you. He was so jealous of you,” Mr. Iruka smiled.</p><p>Naruto’s face grew hot as he indignantly said, “That’s not true!”</p><p>“Jealous?” Sasuke asked. Mr. Iruka nodded.</p><p>“He was so mad that Sakura likes you. But then again, he talked to me more about you than he ever did her. You’re top of the class, and people like you, Sasuke. I know you two fight a lot, but I know you care for each other.” Mr. Iruka smiled softly, before frowning deeply. “Or rather... cared. Oh, God.”</p><p>Mr. Iruka’s face cracked, contorting into one of pain as he hid behind his hands. He let out a choked sob that made Naruto’s heart lurch. He wanted to say something, anything to make it better, but even if he could, no words came to mind.</p><p>Sasuke looked uncomfortable, obviously not knowing what to say, either. He just sat there, backpack at his feet and hands clenching at his thighs.</p><p>Mr. Iruka’s crying slowed, though he still covered his face. “I should’ve- I never expected Mizuki to- I didn’t know! He was my friend! I’m the one who let him in, and he- He took my son from me!” Mr. Iruka sobbed harder, his shoulders heaving with each gulp of air.</p><p>Sasuke waited patiently for a few moments before tentatively asking, “What’s going to happen to him? Mizuki?”</p><p>Mr. Iruka breathed heavily, trying to compose himself. “He’ll go to prison. Maybe for life. I think-” Mr. Iruka paused, wiping at his face, “I think he’s claiming self-defense.”</p><p>Sasuke’s brow furrowed as Naruto snorted humorlessly. “Self-defense?” Sasuke asked. “He stabbed him in the back!”</p><p>Mr. Iruka’s face twisted again at Sasuke’s words, but he didn’t cry. “He’s saying Naruto attacked him. That he’s unhinged. He keeps trying to say that because of Naruto’s rebellious history and-” Mr. Iruka faltered, “... and identity issues, that he lashed out and made Mizuki fear for his life.”</p><p>“Identity issues?” Sasuke asked, confused. “You mean because he was trans?”</p><p>Mr. Iruka’s bloodshot eyes widened. “He… he told you?” Sasuke nodded. “I thought it was just me… I’m glad he trusts you, Sasuke.”</p><p>Mr. Iruka clenched his hands together tighter, staring at them pensively before continuing, “Mizuki is trying everything he can to get off. I’m worried that he might.”</p><p>Sasuke’s frown was deep. “There’s no way. Naruto would never hurt anyone. The knife was in his back.”</p><p>“I keep watching the news, just in case something comes up,” Mr. Iruka said, “It could take years before he ever goes to trial. I’ve had a few reporters reach out to me to run stories on it, but more and more I keep seeing reports that take Mizuki’s side.”</p><p>“That’s just because they’re trying to sell papers, though, right?”</p><p>Mr. Iruka didn’t blink. “I don’t know. But when he does go to trial, after everything that happened to him, I’m just worried. He’s a very sympathetic man. I don’t want him to get off for this.”</p><p>Sasuke shook his head, clenching his fists tighter. “He won’t get off. People aren’t that stupid.”</p><p>Mr. Iruka looked up at him, then. He gave Sasuke a look that Naruto couldn’t quite describe. He was smiling slightly, but his eyes were sad. Very, very sad.</p><p>“I hope you’re right,” is all he said.</p><p>Naruto frowned. “Sasuke, will you- will you tell him something for me? That he’s the best ever, and that I love him?”</p><p>Sasuke cleared his throat. Iruka looked up at him with bloodshot eyes. “Naruto really cares for you. Cared,” Sasuke corrected himself, shifting in his seat, “He loved you. Said you were the best. I think- I think he’d want you to know that.”</p><p>Iruka gave Sasuke a shaky smile, brushing his hair back behind his ear. “Thank you, Sasuke. That means a lot.” Naruto exhaled a sigh of relief.</p><p> </p><p>As Sasuke and Naruto stepped out of Mr. Iruka’s apartment, Naruto let out a loud sigh. “Well, that wasn’t as fun as I’d hoped,” he said.</p><p>Sasuke walked behind him as they descended the stairwell, his hands avoiding the metal railing. “Well, duh. Did you think he’d be happy you were gone?”</p><p>“Obviously not!” Naruto retorted, rolling his eyes, “I don’t know, I thought he’d at least still be himself. It’s like someone else is wearing his skin or something. It’s creepy.”</p><p>Sasuke walked next to Naruto as they made their way back to Sasuke’s place. “You really don’t understand how death works, do you?” he asked, voice bitter.</p><p>“Uh, yeah I do! I’m literally dead.” Naruto moved his arms around himself to emphasize his ghostliness.</p><p>Sasuke ‘hm’ed, but said nothing. Instead they continued walking along in silence, Naruto with his hands behind his head and Sasuke with his backpack slung over one shoulder. The October wind whipped at Sasuke’s face, tinging his cheeks and nose red. Not that Naruto paid attention or anything.</p><p>“Can’t wait to see Mizuki get justice in, what, a year?” Sasuke said sarcastically. Naruto looked at him.</p><p>“Why do you care so much?” Naruto asked.</p><p>“Why do you care so little?” Sasuke retorted.</p><p>Naruto thought for a moment. He didn’t really know why he was so unaffected. He honestly felt more upset that Mizuki had made his loved ones hurt more than he felt any resentment for his own death. The world would still move on without him.</p><p>As they made their way past the school, Naruto noticed a head of red hair. He stopped. “Sasuke, why is Gaara at school on a Sunday?”</p><p>Sasuke looked past him, seeing Gaara staring at the school walls. “I don’t know.”</p><p>“Let’s go talk to him,” Naruto said, rushing forward. Sasuke tried to stop him by calling out in a harsh whisper, but reluctantly followed suit anyway.</p><p>Naruto stood next to Gaara, looking at his face. Gaara was just as pale as usual, his eyes focused on something that wasn’t there. Naruto waved his hand in front of him to no avail. He stepped back, groaning.</p><p>Sasuke approached them, standing next to Naruto. “Gaara,” he stated.</p><p>“Sasuke,” Gaara returned. They stood in silence for a moment.</p><p>Naruto frowned. “Damn, why are you two like this? Be a little more conversational, will ya?”</p><p>“What are you doing here?” Sasuke asked, ignoring Naruto as he circled around them to wave in Gaara’s face again.</p><p>“None of your concern,” Gaara replied. Naruto noticed that he was carrying a backpack, too, just like Sasuke. </p><p>Sasuke seemed to notice as well. “What’s in the bag?”</p><p>Gaara leveled him with a serious look. “You wouldn’t believe me if I told you.”</p><p>“Try me.”</p><p>Naruto squinted at both of them, trying to read the situation. Gaara pulled his backpack off of his shoulder, opening it painfully slow.</p><p>Inside Gaara’s backpack were chipped black candles, what looked to be a lighter, a big book of some kind, and a pack of white chalk paint. There was also one hell of a knife.</p><p>“Jesus Christ, Gaara!” Naruto yelled, pulling his head back, “What the hell do you need that stuff for?”</p><p>Sasuke ‘hmph’ed. “You’re going to summon a demon.” Gaara nodded.</p><p>Naruto looked from Gaara to Sasuke, not understanding. “What? A demon? Wait… Gaara’s going to-?”</p><p>“Are you sure about that?” Sasuke asked. “You know what it’s going to want. Your soul.”</p><p>“Of course,” Gaara replied nonchalantly, zipping up his backpack.</p><p>“Sasuke!” Naruto exclaimed, “You have to stop him!”</p><p>Sasuke stood still for a moment, contemplating. Finally, he asked, “You need someone to lend a hand?”</p><p>Naruto was taken aback, losing his ability to formulate words for a second. “What? Sasuke, you asshole, you’re not supposed to help him! His soul’s on the line here!”</p><p>Why did Gaara even want to summon a demon? Nothing was worth an eternity of damnation! Gaara was smart, he had to realize that!</p><p>“And why would you want to assist me?” Gaara asked.</p><p>Sasuke shrugged. “I have my reasons.”</p><p>“You’re a suspicious character.”</p><p>“Speak for yourself.”</p><p>Naruto was about to rip his hair out. “Sasuke! Damn it! What are you doing? Stop him!”</p><p>Sasuke ignored him in favor of a wordless agreement with Gaara to silently walk up to the school doors. They were locked. Gaara gestured to his left, indicating a slightly cracked window to one of the classrooms. Sasuke nodded, walking over and shoving the window the rest of the way open before hopping inside. Gaara followed suit.</p><p>Naruto hopped in after, grumbling, “You two are in such deep shit, ya know!”</p><p>“Where do you want to do this?” Sasuke asked.</p><p>“Classroom 3-B. It faces away from the street,” Gaara replied.</p><p>3-B was Naruto’s old classroom. Why Gaara wanted to walk all the way up there was beyond him, if he wanted something facing away from the street they could just do it on the first floor. Of course, nothing was exactly making sense right now. And why the hell was Sasuke helping Gaara?</p><p>Naruto furiously yelled at Sasuke all the way up the stairwell. To his credit, Sasuke barely batted an eye, even as Naruto jumped in front of him. Sasuke simply walked through him, and for a second Naruto could see Sasuke’s brain. It was pretty cool.</p><p>As they entered the classroom, Gaara placed his backpack on the desk closest to the door near the front of the room. He pulled out his book. It was thick and dark, bound with leather and very, very dirty. Naruto doubted that Gaara had borrowed that from the library.</p><p>Gaara flipped the pages until they opened to a large, star-shaped symbol. It had some weird markings in and around it, too. Naruto felt as his anger and confusion began to turn to worry. Gaara was really doing this. An actual fucking demon! “Sasuke, for real, you’ve got to stop him! This is dangerous!”</p><p>“I am going to draw this symbol,” Gaara began, indicating the star, “When I am finished, place the candles at the end points.”</p><p>Sasuke nodded, helping Gaara move a few desks around to give him some more room to draw. Gaara then grabbed his chalk paint and book and got to work, meticulously copying every portion of the symbol onto the carpeted floor. That was gonna be a bitch to clean out, if it ever did.</p><p>Then again, Naruto doubted that Gaara was thinking about consequences right now.</p><p>Sasuke was ignoring Naruto, no matter what he said. He didn’t know what he was supposed to do here. “Sasuke, c’mon! What are you doing? Talk to me!”</p><p>Of course, Sasuke didn’t talk. Not to Naruto, not to Gaara. Not until the star was drawn and the candles were placed. Sasuke lit them as he placed them down on the carpet, with absolutely nothing to catch the hot wax as it fell. That was a fire hazard, surely. If they didn’t burn in hell for eternity, they’d at least burn to death in what would probably be labeled an act of arson.</p><p>Sasuke nodded to Gaara as Gaara picked up his book, taking a deep breath. He began to say a bunch of words that Naruto didn’t recognize, probably Latin or something. For the first few minutes nothing happened, and Naruto felt himself relax. Maybe everything would be fine, after all.</p><p>That was until the lights in the room began to flicker on and off and the desks began to shake. Gaara kept reading while Naruto stood closer to Sasuke, eyes wide as he looked for something to hold onto. Of course, there was nothing for a ghost to grab.</p><p>The star on the floor began to flash, the room’s shaking coming to an all-time high. Even Sasuke stumbled slightly as a chair knocked into the back of his leg.</p><p>“Demon,” Gaara called, “What is your name? Present yourself to me.”</p><p>Wicked laughter resounded throughout the room as a bright flash blinded the three boys. The shaking stopped. As they opened their eyes, they saw a man with long, black hair and yellow eyes standing before them. His laughter faded into a wicked grin.</p><p>“My name? It’s Orochimaru.”</p><p>“Orochimaru, I wish to deal with you,” Gaara said. </p><p>Orochimaru looked from Gaara, to Sasuke, to Naruto, then back to Sasuke. The disgusting demon licked his lips. “I’d much rather strike a deal with you, young Sasuke,” he replied, ignoring Gaara. The demon took a step toward Sasuke, remaining in the star shape.</p><p>Sasuke frowned. “Demon, what do you know of Itachi Uchiha?” Is that what this was about? Sasuke wanted answers about Itachi? Surely there was a better way of finding out than talking to this creep.</p><p>Orochimaru smiled, once again letting out that creepy laugh of his. “I know plenty of Itachi. I will tell you, as well. Everything you want to know. I just want a little something back in exchange…”</p><p>Naruto bared his teeth, throwing a hand in front of Sasuke. “Fuck off! He’s not giving anything to you!”</p><p>“Naruto!” Sasuke grit out, “Keep back!”</p><p>“Naruto?” Gaara asked, confused.</p><p>Orochimaru smiled at Naruto, yet Naruto could see the blatant hatred in his eyes. “Naruto,” he said, “I think you should let Sasuke speak for himself, don’t you think?”</p><p>“What do you know about Naruto? What’s going on?” Gaara asked. His normally cool and reserved exterior was beginning to give way, only slightly.</p><p>“I’m not speaking to you, boy,” Orochimaru hissed, “I am speaking to Sasuke.”</p><p>Sasuke stayed calm, still positioned behind Naruto. His gaze focused on Orochimaru. “I’m not trading anything with you. Either tell me what I want to know, or I’ll find a way to force it out of you.”</p><p>His words made Orochimaru cackle again. Naruto was getting real sick of this guy finding everything so funny. “Go away!” Naruto shouted, “Leave Gaara and Sasuke alone!”</p><p>“Sasuke, you know I can’t tell you something as,” Orochimaru emphasized his next words, “top secret as Itachi’s information without a present in return.”</p><p>“Top secret?” Sasuke asked.</p><p>Naruto turned over his shoulder to look at Sasuke. “Don’t fall for it! You’re playing right into his hands!”</p><p>“It must be hard,” Orochimaru continued, “this unfair life you lead. Your precious big brother murdering your innocent family. Losing your most precious bonds. I can tell you anything. I can bring them back to you. I can bring all of them back. Your parents, your brother, your…” Orochimaru sent Naruto a displeased glance, “well, you know.”</p><p>Sasuke stayed quiet for a moment. Naruto cried out in frustration, “Sasuke! C’mon! Snap out of it!”</p><p>“Orochimaru, tell me-” Gaara began. Orochimaru raised a hand in his direction, not even turning to face him.</p><p>“I have no intention of dealing with you, child,” he said, “Find someone else to play with you.” Gaara scowled as he picked up the book he’d brought, reading through the old pages.</p><p>Orochimaru’s smile quickly dropped from his face. In the ensuing silence, Gaara’s angry voice could be heard. He was chanting something. Orochimaru rounded on him, still within the confines of the star symbol.</p><p>“You brat!” he hissed, “I’m not done yet!”</p><p>Gaara ignored him. He continued to chant as the floor began to glow again, the room shaking.</p><p>Orochimaru looked to Sasuke as the lights flickered and the desks wobbled. “Sasuke,” he said, “If you want to access true power, come find me again.”</p><p>The floor flashed as Orochimaru’s figure disappeared, leaving behind nothing but unlit candles and ice. Sasuke snapped out of his thoughts, stepping up to Gaara who was setting down his book.</p><p>“Why’d you do that?” Sasuke snarled.</p><p>Gaara was unphased by Sasuke’s anger. “He wasn’t listening to me. I had no use for him.” Sasuke looked like he was ready to throw a punch. Gaara interjected with, “If you want to summon him, do it on your own time. You can use my materials. But first, why did you mention Naruto?”</p><p>Naruto watched them intensely, relieved that Orochimaru was gone but still unnerved by Sasuke’s actions. He wasn’t really considering anything that snake had to say, right? Sasuke was too smart for that.</p><p>Sasuke glared at Gaara. “None of your business.”</p><p>“You interfered with my deal.” Gaara said. His words held more ice than the spot where Orochimaru had vanished.</p><p>“Not my fault that your soul wasn’t good enough,” Sasuke bit out, still obviously pissed.</p><p>Gaara said nothing, just continued to look at Sasuke. His anger turned to something else, something indecipherable. “Naruto. I wanted him back.”</p><p>His statement threw both Naruto and Sasuke off. “What?” they asked at the same time, though only Sasuke was heard.</p><p>“He was my first friend. I would do anything for him.” Gaara replied. “If you know something about him, I’d like to hear it.”</p><p>Naruto’s heart thudded in his chest. Gaara was going to summon a demon because of him? That didn’t make any sense. They were friends, sure, but…</p><p>Sasuke turned his back to Gaara. “The dead should stay dead.”</p><p>“You don’t believe your own words,” Gaara said. His facade of calmness was beginning to deteriorate as he levelled Sasuke with an angry look. “Tell me what you know.”</p><p>“Why should I?” Sasuke asked. The venom in his words was beginning to fade.</p><p>“Please,” Gaara said quietly. Then, louder, “I may be able to assist you.”</p><p>Naruto looked from Gaara to Sasuke, then back to Gaara again. He was so confused.</p><p>“You won’t believe me,” Sasuke said.</p><p>“Try me,” Gaara returned.</p><p>Sasuke stayed silent, glancing at Naruto for only a moment. “Follow me,” he said, grabbing his bag and leading Gaara out of the classroom without bothering to clean up. “I’ll tell you what I know.”</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>If you like this story, consider checking out my tumblr blog @aro-preacher. You'll be able to see updates on my works, as well as information about requests, etc!</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
</body>
</html>